OSCE Secretary General visits Afghanistan to discuss election plans

KABUL, 6 September 2004 - OSCE Secretary General Jan Kubis visited Afghanistan on 4 and 5 September for consultations with the Afghan authorities and international partners concerning OSCE support for the 9 October Presidential elections.

The OSCE Permanent Council decided in July to send an Election Support Team to Afghanistan to assist with the elections at the request of the Afghan government. This is the first time such an operation will have been carried out in a country which is not an OSCE participating State.

The OSCE Election Support Team will analyse aspects of the electoral process, such as voter registration, the work of electoral commissions, vote count and tabulation, as well as complaint and appeal procedures. The aim is to help Afghanistan improve its legal framework and procedures related to elections and to make recommendations on improving the conduct of elections in future.

In meetings with senior Afghan officials, including President Hamid Karzai and Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, the Secretary General underlined the OSCE's commitment to supporting the election process in Afghanistan.

"The OSCE attaches great importance to the normalisation of Afghanistan and its progress towards democracy and respect for human rights. These elections should contribute to that process. That is why OSCE States have committed themselves to providing assistance," Secretary General Kubis said.

"Afghanistan is an OSCE Partner for Co-operation and we are glad to share our rich experience in all aspects of elections. The security of Afghanistan affects us all. Enhancing stability and democracy in Afghanistan would have an important and positive impact on security in Central Asia and beyond."

The Secretary General said the speedy organization of the election operation demonstrated the ability of the OSCE to react quickly and effectively to requests for assistance.

In Kabul, Ambassador Kubis also met partner organizations closely involved in the elections, including the United Nations, the European Union, the Joint Electoral Management Board and NATO/ISAF, as well as local ambassadors.