Describing the upcoming presidential election in Afghanistan as a milestone in the country's short democratic history, the US has hoped that the exercise will be peaceful and acceptable to its people.
"We are hopeful that the elections will be peaceful and inclusive and broadly acceptable to the Afghan people. It goes without saying, a stable and acceptable political transition is critical to sustaining international support for Afghanistan," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said.
The second Afghan presidential election is scheduled for April 5 with eight candidates in the fray. If latest opinion polls are of indication, the top three candidates in the running are Dr Abdullah Abdullah, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Zalmai Rassoul.
President, Hamid Karzai, is not contesting the election as the new Afghan Constitution does not allow a third term.
"It is a milestone, and we expect millions of Afghans to go to the polls this Saturday, April 5, to vote for their next president. These are critical elections, and the US welcomes the democratic process that is underway in Afghanistan," Carney said.
He said the election process was Afghan-owned. "The Afghan security forces are in the lead nationwide. The leaders and staff of the electoral institutions are all Afghan."
"The campaign period over the past two months was full of open and responsible debate among the candidates, and it will be up to the Afghan people to choose the direction of their country," he added.
Carney said a stable and acceptable political transition was critical to sustain international support for Afghanistan.
"It's often said that when you have new democracies that it's not the first election or even the case when the second election re-elects the incumbent, but the election that brings about a transition that is most important when it comes to embedding democratic institutions in a society and a country," he said.
