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03 November 2004

U.N.'s Annan Congratulates Afghan President Karzai

Afghan election results certified following investigations

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan extended his congratulations to Afghan President Hamid Karzai after the Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) certified Afghanistan's October 9 presidential election and declared Karzai the victor with 55.4 percent of the vote.

Annan offered Karzai "his sincere congratulations" and wished him well "as he addresses the challenges that still remain in Afghanistan's path to lasting peace, stability and economic recovery," according to a November 3 statement from the secretary-general's spokesman.

Karzai is one of 18 candidates who vied for Afghanistan's presidency. Annan paid tribute to all of the candidates, their supporters and the Afghan voters who ensured that the election was a successful and credible exercise in democracy.

The JEMB certified the outcome of the election after investigations into electoral complaints determined that none of the reported irregularities could have significantly altered the result of the vote.

The secretary-general pledged the United Nations' continuing support for efforts to ensure peace and security in Afghanistan.

Following is the text of the spokesman's statement:

(begin text)

Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on Afghanistan

The Secretary-General welcomes the announcement by the Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) certifying the results of the 9 October Presidential election in Afghanistan. The Secretary-General has noted that the JEMB, after considering the results of the counting, the report of the impartial panel of international electoral experts, and the work of their own complaints and investigations mechanism, declared that President Hamid Karzai, having secured 55.4 per cent of the vote, is the first elected President of Afghanistan.

The Secretary-General takes this opportunity to extend to President Karzai his sincere congratulations and wishes him well as he addresses the challenges that still remain in Afghanistan's path to lasting peace, stability and economic recovery.

The Secretary-General wishes to pay tribute to all Presidential candidates and their supporters for their important role in the democratic process. He also applauds the very active participation of party and candidate agents and domestic and international observers who played an integral role in this first exercise of democratic elections.

The Secretary-General congratulates the people and the Government of Afghanistan, as well as the JEMB, for having conducted a successful and credible election under such difficult circumstances.

The Secretary-General is gratified that the United Nations, especially UNAMA, played a significant role in the conduct of a peaceful and credible electoral process. He wishes to assure the new Government that it can rely on the assistance of the United Nations to provide continuing support as the political process progresses to consolidate peaceful and secure conditions in Afghanistan.

New York, 3 November 2004

(end text)

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