"Afghanistan cannot afford a contentious post-election crisis" - Special Representative

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto, told the Security Council that the presidential election scheduled for 28 September “will be a key moment to reaffirm the legitimacy of Afghanistan’s democratic political structure.” Yamamoto stated that “the political stakes are high, and the competition is intense” adding that it is “the responsibility of all political actors, including presidential candidates, and of security and government agencies, to ensure that the elections are contested on a level playing field.” He said, “Afghanistan cannot afford a contentious and protracted post-election crisis which could result in a Presidency with brittle domestic legitimacy” as “this would also harm the new President’s ability to bring the Afghan people together in a meaningful and representative peace process.”