Candidates to accept results, hopes US

WASHINGTON (Pajhwok): Asserting that it will be premature to draw conclusions from the vote audit, the United States on Wednesday hoped the two presidential candidates would accept its outcome.

“It is premature to draw conclusions about the audit result,” the State Department spokesperson, Jen Psaki, told reporters at her daily news conference.               

In terms of the outcome, she said, both candidates had agreed not only too accept the results of the audit but also that the winner would serve as president and immediately form a government, and that the other individual would be part of that effort.

“I have seen a range of comments. But again, the audit is not concluded. It’s ongoing. The UN continued to move that process forward today in terms of counting the ballots. That will continue in the days ahead with Afghan and UN observers,” she said.

On Wednesday, Dr. Abdullah’s team did not send observers to the election audit sites, she said, adding at the request of the UN, Dr. Ashraf Ghani agreed to withdraw his team.

She said it was important to note that the Independent Election Commission (IEC) continued to conduct the audit and adjudication under the close supervision of the UN, with international and Afghan observers present.

rm/mud

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