The UN Secretary General has said democracy is now being established in Afghanistan where presidential elections were held on Saturday. He said that any claims of wrongdoing during voting will be fully investigated. The UN Security Council congratulated the millions of Afghan voters.
This report from Susannah Price:
The UN Secretary General said the participation by the Afghan people in the elections, despite the threats of violence, was impressive. In a message read by his representative on Afghan television and radio, Mr Annan said any irregularities would be fully clarified and the results would help make electoral procedures more reliable in next year's parliamentary polls.
There were complaints that ink used to mark those who had voted could be washed off, allowing individuals to vote again. Assistant Secretary General Hedi Annabi told the Security Council it appeared there had been some confusion among officials between the indelible ink pens and those meant for marking ballot papers.
However, Mr Anaby said it was a well-run operation given the constraints of geography and security. He also said that some eight hundred thousand Afghan refugees living in Iran and Pakistan had cast their vote and that this was the largest ever vote by refugees living outside a country in any election.
The UN Security Council also added its praise for the elections, stressing their historic importance as a milestone in Afghanistan's political process.
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