UN ready to work with future Afghan administration

Kabul, Feb 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has said that the UN stands ready to work with the future administration in the South Asian country after Ashraf Ghani secured a second term as President.

"The UN stands ready to welcome and work with the future administration, while reiterating the importance of due respect given to Afghanistan's diversity and to those Afghans who bravely turned out to vote, despite serious security constraints, in their commitment to an important democratic process," TOLO News quoted the UNAMA as saying in a statement on Wednesday night.

The UNAMA statement came a day after the Independent Election Commission announced that Ghani had secured a second term by garnering 50.64 per cent of the votes cast in the September 28, 2019 presidential election.

Ghani's rival and Chief Executive of his National Unity Government Abdullah Abdullah stood the second by securing 39.52 per cent of the votes, she added.

Also on Wednesday, Josep Borrell, the European Union's (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, also congratulated Ghani on his win and, adding that the bloc looked forward to continuing the work with the new administration, TOLO News reported.

These were Afghanistan's fourth presidential election since the collapse of Taliban rule in late 2001.

The preliminary results of the controversial presidential polls were announced last December wherein Ghani secured first position and Abdullah stood second.

But Abdullah refused to accept the results and ordered a recount alleging fraud.

Source: IANS