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03 November 2004

State Department Congratulates Karzai on Election Victory

Spokesman says U.S. will continue to support Afghanistan

State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher offered congratulations to Afghan President Hamid Karzai for his victory in Afghanistan's October 9 presidential election.

"This election is the latest milestone on the Afghan people's road to democratic government and a vibrant civil society," Boucher said in a November 3 statement following the Joint Electoral Management Board's official certification of the results.

Boucher also extended congratulations to the election workers and the Afghan people for making the election possible. He said that all of those involved should be proud of their efforts to lead Afghanistan out of a period of war and repression.

Afghanistan is scheduled to hold parliamentary and local elections in the spring of 2005. Boucher said that that the United States will continue to support the Afghans "as they work toward a brighter future."

Following is the text of the spokesman's statement:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
November 3, 2004

STATEMENT BY RICHARD BOUCHER, SPOKESMAN

Afghanistan: Election of New President

On November 3, the Joint Electoral Management Board in Kabul officially announced final results of October 9th's historic election in Afghanistan. We congratulate President Hamid Karzai on his selection as Afghanistan's first democratically elected national leader, and look forward to his inauguration next month. We congratulate the Afghan people on turning out in record numbers to choose their country's next head of state, and we congratulate the more than 100,000 Afghan election workers and friends of Afghanistan who made this election possible. Everyone involved has much to be proud of in bringing Afghanistan to this point, just three years after the end of a quarter-century of war and repression.

This election is the latest milestone on the Afghan people's road to democratic government and a vibrant civil society. In late spring, they will take another major step towards institutionalizing democratic governance when they return to the polls to select members of parliament and local governments. The United States and the international community will continue to support them as they work toward this brighter future.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)