A day after the runoff was set for November 7, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that his government acknowledged the final results released by the Independent Election Commission (IEC).
"We are pleased that both candidates recognised the need for a run-off election in the best interests of Afghan democracy. Canada has consistently stated that all parties must respect the Afghan electoral process and the Afghan constitution," he said in a statement on Wednesday.
Harper stressed it was important to remember how far Afghanistan had come since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001. Canada's goal in Afghanistan was to help Afghans rebuild their country as a stable, democratic and self-sufficient society, he explained.
"Canada continues to lend our support as Afghans proceed into the second round of elections. This is an important step in the countrys ongoing transition to democracy. It is particularly important that these elections are an Afghan-led process," the prime minister observed.
The United States also welcomed the announcement of certified results. "We congratulate all candidates in this historic race, and applaud the vigorous campaigns run by President Karzai and Dr. Abdullah, garnering support across the country and ethnic lines."
As neither of the top two received more than fifty percent of the vote, the US Embassy in Kabul said, the Constitution required the holding of a run-off. It hailed President Karzai's statesmanlike acceptance of the result and his agreement to a second round of voting.
"The US commends the IEC and the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) for fulfilling their mandates, working in coordination with one another to ensure that the electoral and adjudication processes were carried out under Afghanistans Electoral Law and according to international standards," the embassy said.
It added the international community including the US had begun working with Afghan authorities to enable a second round of voting in coming weeks, fully recognising the security challenges involved in the process.
"The United States and our international partners, including the NATO International Security Assistance Forces and the United Nations, stand ready to support the Afghan people, the Afghan National Security Forces and electoral authorities as they carry out this next round of voting."
Soon after the president accepted the runoff, the UN chief also complimented the statement from Karzai. "He (Karzai) has made it clear that the constitutional process must be fully respected," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.
"This process is about the future of Afghanistan and the participation of the Afghan people in their future I commend President Karzai for the leadership he has displayed and for his commitment to ensuring full respect for Afghanistan's Constitution and its democratic processes."
He also praised Karzai's key challenger Dr. Abdullah Abdullah for his dignified approach to the campaign as well as to the difficult post-election period. "These elections were held under extremely difficult, even dangerous circumstances," Ban said in a statement.
The UN chief stressed courage and patience demonstrated by the Afghan people and their leaders must be recognised and applauded. They had voted in the face of intimidation and insecurity, he acknowledged.
In a statement released by UNAMA, Ban promised the United Nations would do its utmost for the conduct of the second round of elections in a free, fair, transparent and secure environment.
US President Barack Obama also hailed Karzai's agreement to hold a runoff voting in as an important precedent for Afghan democracy. "I welcome President Karzai's statement today accepting the IEC certification of the August 20 election results, and agreeing to participate in a second round of the election.
"This is an important step forward in ensuring a credible process for the Afghan people which results in a government that reflects their will," Obama said in a statement.
mud/pr
