KABUL - Members of the Wolesi Jirga today presented Staffan de Mistura, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Afghanistan, with a letter addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. In the letter the Parliamentarians appealed for the international community to support the Wolesi Jirga as the constitutional body inaugurated by the President on 26 January 2011 in accordance with final, certified results of the 18 September 2010 elections. English Pashto Dari

“Afghanistan’s democratic institutions must resolve these elections issues in accordance with the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Parliamentarians should act responsibly in making their constitutional demands, and not resort to sit-ins, protests or other actions which could provoke public unrest,” de Mistura told the group of Parliamentarians.

Staffan de Mistura reiterated to the assembled Parliamentarians the firm United Nations view that Afghanistan’s peaceful future lies in the building up of robust democratic institutions based on the rule of law and clear respect for the separation of powers. He reaffirmed the United Nations commitment to continue to support the Afghan people and Government as they work to strengthen their democratic institutions.