Important election for Afghanistan

‘The Afghan people today cast their votes in the second round of the presidential election, defying threats from insurgent groups as they did in the first round. The holding of democratic elections is one of the most important elements in building a stable Afghanistan for the future,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende. 

Once the winner of today’s second round of the election is clear, this will pave the way for the first democratic transfer of power in Afghanistan’s history. The vote count and the processing of complaints are expected to take several weeks. 

‘The fact that the election proceeded as it should and is regarded as legitimate both by the candidates and by the Afghan people is crucial for Afghanistan’s democratic development,’ Mr Brende said.  

The Afghan security forces have done a good job in ensuring the security of the voters and the polling stations. Even so, people have been killed and injured today too. 

‘The Afghan authorities were better prepared today than they were during the first round of elections in April. However, it would be unrealistic to believe that the election was problem-free. The security situation is complex and some areas in the north of the country have been severely affected by flash flooding. This meant that polling stations were closed in certain areas. We hope that the Afghan electoral institutions are now able to work in peace to count the votes and deal with complaints so that the final result can be announced as soon as possible,’ Mr Brende said.    

Norway has provided NOK 102 million in funding for the planning and implementation of the presidential election and next year’s parliamentary elections.