News (Consolidated) - UNSOM

13 May 2009 - Voters in Afghanistan have the chance to raise complaints against candidates for the forthcoming presidential and provincial council elections. The Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) has announced that it is ready to receive challenges against candidates who have nominated…

3 May 2009 - The top United Nations official in Afghanistan joined the head of the country's human rights commission in urging all Afghans, including those who oppose the Government, to take part in this year's presidential and provincial council elections. “I believe that the opposition should know…

KABUL - In less than three months, people from across Afghanistan go to the ballot box to elect the next president of their country. Scheduled on 20 August, the presidential and provincial council elections are the second elections to be held in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban in 2001.…

KABUL - A major programme is underway in Afghanistan to train 35,000 police officers in time for the 20 August presidential and provincial council elections. Officers are being readied to tackle security threats and to provide the necessary cover to enable voters to come out confidently and cast…

KABUL - The number of people calling Afghanistan’s election hotline is growing everyday, with about 25,000 Afghans ringing the free number each week. Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission set up the dedicated call centre to answer questions on the forthcoming elections from people across the…

9 June 2009 - A total of fifty seven candidates from more than 3,000 for this year’s elections in Afghanistan have been disqualified from taking part in the polls. The Electoral Complaints Commission made the announcement today on the candidates who do not meet the qualification requirements for the…

14 June 2009 - The public awareness campaign for the forthcoming elections is continuing in Jalalabad in Nangarhar province and in the surrounding districts. One man carrying out the huge awareness programme is Mohammad Gharanay, 54, one of the Civic Educators of the Independent Election Commission…

13 June 2009 - Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission has announced the final list of candidates for the presidential and provincial council elections due to be held on 20 August. Election Commission President Azizullah Lodin said the final list of presidential hopefuls includes incumbent…

KABUL - Presidential and provincial candidates for the forthcoming elections were today given their positions on the ballot paper. Candidates or their representatives picked out chits with a given number from a box, in a ceremony that was conducted by the Independent Election Commission in Kabul…

14 June 2009 - The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG), Kai Eide, has met with Presidential candidates Dr. Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah in separate meetings to discuss the election process. The SRSG presented to them a set of “Essential Guidelines for Conduct during…

KABUL - Across Afghanistan a huge outreach programme is moving up a gear as hundreds of thousands of people start to hear about the forthcoming elections. The north east of the country, which includes the provinces of Kunduz, Takhar, Baghlan and Badakhshan, is no exception, with the Public Outreach…

15 June 2009 - “I appeal to candidates to campaign with dignity and fairness. It is the shared responsibility of all candidates to ensure that these elections strengthen Afghanistan’s democratic institutions and people’s confidence in the democratic process.” The top UN envoy in Afghanistan, Kai…