KABUL - Staffan de Mistura, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Afghanistan, today met, at their request, with several representatives of the Wolesi Jirga candidates backed by the court set up to examine electoral complaints. They presented what they felt were clear cases of fraud in the September 2010 polls and emphasized the importance of adhering to the rule of law. Engllish - Pashto - Dari

Referring to the finality of results certified by the Independent Election Commission (IEC), as welcomed by the Security Council on 22 December 2010, the Special Representative explained that the United Nations supports elections as part of the democratic process in Afghanistan and is not involved in addressing individual cases. As such UNAMA supports Afghanistan’s constitutionally mandated institutions, which includes the electoral bodies and their constitutional authority on electoral matters.

UNAMA recalls its statement of 25 January affirming the right of the judiciary to prosecute exclusively individual criminal cases pursuant to Afghan current applicable law without prejudice to due process and relevant immunities covered by Constitutional provisions.

Staffan de Mistura reiterated his previous statement to Parliamentarians calling on all parties to conduct themselves responsibly, using only political means and taking every step to avoid public unrest.

“In this critical moment for Afghanistan’s democratic governance, it is essential that Afghans themselves reach a political solution to this institutional impasse underpinned by the Constitution and democratic principles and move forward,” he concluded.