UN will do utmost to ensure credible Afghan presidential run-off – Ban

UN United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday, pledged the full support of the UN to ensure that Afghanistan’s presidential election run-off is as credible as possible, and welcomed President Hamid Karzai’s acceptance of a second round of voting. “The UN will do its utmost for the conduct of the second round of elections scheduled for 7 November in a free, fair, transparent and secure environment,” Ban told reporters in New York. The run-off, between Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, was announced on Tuesday, after the UN-backed panel investigating claims of fraud submitted its findings to the country’s top electoral authority. On Monday the Electoral Complaints Commission, which was tasked with auditing suspicious ballot boxes and other complaints related to the 20 August elections, submitted its findings to the Independent Election Commission (IEC), which organized the polls. Ban commended President Karzai for the leadership he has displayed and for his commitment to ensuring full respect for Afghanistan’s Constitution and its democratic processes.. The Secretary-General also commended Abdullah for his “dignified approach to the campaign, as well as to the difficult post-election period.”