Abdullah, Ghani say accept final results

KABUL (Pajhwok): Frontrunners Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai on Thursday said they accepted the final results from the April presidential elections and were ready for a runoff round on June 14.

Abdullah, who topped the first round with 45 percent of the votes cast, told a press conference in Kabul that there had been problems in access to complaints and the vote tallying process. He said the electoral bodies needed reforms.

The former foreign minister said with the help of Allah and support of the people, his team would win the second round elections.

He said the massive turnout in the first round took many by surprise and that he believed the Afghans would widely vote in the second round.

Abdullah, who finished runner up behind President Karzai in the 2009 election, thanked international observers for monitoring the April 5 vote and the international community for assisting the democratic exercise, which he called the foundation stone of bringing stability to Afghanistan.

However, Abdullah warned if the process derailed, it could threaten the country’s stability.

Before his press conference, Abdullah’s main rival Ghani said he also accepted the final results from the presidential elections announced earlier in the day by the Independent Election Commission.

Ghani, who came second with 31.6 percent of the votes, said he was ready to contest the second round election on June 14.

In a reference to Abdullah’s electoral team, the former finance minister said they should avoid the use of a threatening language over the elections and should let the people make their own decision.

He sought punishment for election workers and removal of governors and police commanders who had been accused of wrongdoings during the first round elections.

Ghani also urged President Karzai to maintain his neutrality in the second round as well.

About the final results, the candidate said he respected the law and the outcome announced by the election commission was acceptable to him.

“The threatening language (in reaction to the final results) that rivers of blood will flow is not acceptable. Are you afraid of the will of the people? If you respect the will of the masses then what means spreading terror?”

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