No one has right to interfere in Afghan elections: US envoy

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): A US diplomat on Tuesday said no one has the right to interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs and the April elections, which she called an Afghan-owned and independent process to decide the country’s fate.

During a visit to southeastern Khost province, Karin Decker, High Representative of the US State Department to southeastern Afghanistan, met with Khost governor Abdul Jabbar Naeemi and civil and military officials, the governor’s house said in a statement.

She was accompanied by ISAF commander in the southeast, Afghan army’s 203rd Thunder Military Corps commander and other senior military officials during the visit.

They joined Governor Naeemi at a gathering attended by local security, civil and election officials, the statement said.

Naeemi told the delegation the security situation in the border province had improved as a result of increased coordination between security and intelligence officials, improvement in their capacity and facilities, cooperation with people, good governance and joint preparation of plans.

He said reconstruction services were in full swing and unaffected from insurgent threats so far.

Naeemi said they had appointed a seven-member commission as directed by the central government to ensure the April elections were held in a secure environment.

He said efforts were being made to hold transparent, inclusive and fair elections free of interference from irrelevant circles.

He said the commission would do away with the existing problems and provide a better atmosphere for conducting the ballot.

Decker said security situation, education process and reconstruction affairs in the border province appeared to be improving with the passage of time. She linked the improvement in the security situation to the trust existed between the government and the people.

She hoped the landmark elections would be held in peaceful, transparent and impartial manner.

“The United States respects the political process in Afghanistan and no outsider should interfere in the country’s internal affairs,” the diplomat said.   

mrh/ma

Visits: 4