OSCE Election Support Team to Afghanistan urges participants to "ensure successful and democratic elections"

KABUL, 15 September 2005 - The Head of the OSCE Election Support Team to Afghanistan, Craig Jenness, called today on all participants in the 18 September legislative polls to play their part in ensuring the elections are successful and democratic.

"These elections are not just about who wins and who does not", he said.

"They are a vote for the continued building of democracy, human rights and stability in Afghanistan. All participants - regardless of their role or their political preferences - have a responsibility to ensure the vote is peaceful, orderly and well-managed."

Mr. Jenness, a Canadian, heads a team of OSCE analysts based in Kabul and four other Afghan regional centres. The team is not there to observe the elections but will produce a set of recommendations for future elections in Afghanistan.

He said he was encouraged by the large number of registered candidates, in particular women, and the impressive increase in female registered voters. "We see a great deal of enthusiasm among the Afghan people, including women, for these elections, and for fostering stability and democracy in their country."

It was encouraging to see that the electoral preparations appeared to be on track, despite difficult logistical challenges, he added.

At the same time, Mr. Jenness cautioned against assuming the elections would be problem-free, especially given Afghanistan's underdeveloped infrastructure, the relatively inexperienced electorate and the high illiteracy rate. In addition, the complicated electoral system has resulted in very large and complex ballot papers.

"None of the Afghans we have spoken to expect perfection", Mr. Jenness said, "but they do expect to be allowed to vote in security and with dignity, that any attempt at fraud will be addressed, and that their choices will be respected."

Welcoming the increased numbers of domestic and international observers and candidate agents, Mr. Jenness urged them to monitor the transport of ballots and their processing at the Provincial Count Centres. "In the Afghan context, we think the decision to count at the provincial centres rather than at the polling stations should enhance the secrecy of the ballot and make observation more effective."

He noted that many of the recommendations made by the OSCE and others, after the 2004 presidential election, were incorporated into the regulatory framework for this year's polls, including the establishment of an independent Electoral Complaints Commission.

"All candidates and participants should use this mechanism, if they are concerned about any element of the process, and respect its decisions", Mr. Jenness said.