U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai, and presidential candidates Abdul Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah on Friday, and conveyed to all three that Washington is extremely keen to see a unified, democratic and stable Afghanistan.
Kerry's meeting comes in the wake of two presidential poll run-offs, in which preliminary results place Ghani, as the person who could Afghanistan's next president.
Kerry told media: "I'm here because President Obama and the United States of America are deeply interested in a unified, democratic and stable Afghanistan. We obviously have high hopes that the questions about the election will be resolved quickly, can be resolved, and that a way forward can take place which can give Afghan's confidence that they have a presidency and a government that is capable of unifying all Afghans and building the road to the future. So that's why I'm here. And we're gonna have a lot to talk about."
Ghani had earlier said:"Our commitment is to ensure that the election process (in Afghanistan) enjoys the integrity and the legitimacy that the people of Afghanistan and the world will believe. Therefore we believe in the most intensive and extensive audit possible to restore faith. Simultaneously from day one, when we submitted our nominations our commitment has been to an inclusive government. A government that could represent all of Afghans and serve every Afghan citizen in the manner that every Afghan deserves according to the constitution. We're delighted that you're here Mr. Secretary and look very much forward to conversations with you."
The United States is reportedly keen on having a broad review of the votes before declaring the final result from the presidential polls.
