Poll candidates urged to rise above divisions

WASHINGTON (Pajhwok): Welcoming the ballot-auditing agreement reached out between the two presidential candidates, Ashraf Ghani and Dr Abdullah Abdullah, US lawmakers have urged the Afghan leaders to rise above their divisions.

“While fair elections are critical, Afghan leaders must also rise above their divisions and strive to practice democratic ideals on a day-to-day basis, with far more commitment than has been shown over the last several years,” said Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

By accepting a complete review of all ballots, both presidential candidates have taken a big step – placing the interests of the country above their own, he said hoping that this would end the political crisis.

“Until this weekend, Afghanistan was on the edge of spiraling out of control. This agreement represents a commitment to a transparent effort to root out fraudulent votes and seek political reconciliation – an effort that will take constant focus and attention from Afghans and international observers in the coming weeks,” Royce said.

Senator Jim Inhofe, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), said that the latest agreement by Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani to conduct a complete audit of the Afghan presidential runoff election results, with direct involvement of the UN, ISAF and other international observers, is a positive step in a process that is absolutely essential to a peaceful transition of power in Afghanistan. 

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