24 November 2010 - The United Nations strongly welcomes today's certification of the final results for 34 out of the 35 constituencies in the 18 September Wolesi Jirga elections by Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission (IEC).

Dari -Pashto

We support the IEC's decision to take more time to finalise the certification of the results of the elections in Ghazni province.

This final certification is the culmination of many months of dedicated work by the members and staff of the IEC as well as those of the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC). While we have noted that there were many irregularities and much fraud committed during this election, the committed work of the IEC and the ECC to identify and deal with these problems marks a significant step in the development of Afghanistan's national electoral capacity.

The formation of a new parliament will be a major step in Afghanistan's path to improving its democratic governance and the capacity of Afghan institutions to deliver services to the Afghan people. These improvements are an essential element in Afghanistan's efforts to build stability and sustainable peace.