News (Consolidated) - UNSOM

19 August 2009 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged all eligible Afghan men and women to cast their ballots in tomorrow’s presidential and provincial elections, saying their votes will play a crucial role in helping the country on the path towards greater stability and democracy. In a statement…

19 August 2009 - “Can you help me choose a good person as president?” asks a woman voter in a blue burqa to the ballot paper issuer at a mock polling station. “No, we cannot tell you who to vote for. This is your decision,” replies the polling official in a mock election set-up in Bamyan. “I have…

NEW YORK - The Secretary-General encourages all Afghan women and men eligible to vote to cast their ballot in the upcoming Presidential and Provincial Council elections on 20 August 2009. He notes that, by participating in these elections, the Afghan people will help Afghanistan strengthen its…

KABUL - The top United Nations envoy in Afghanistan appealed today to all groups threatening violence in Afghanistan on Election Day to allow their fellow Afghans to choose their future leader. At a press conference in Kabul just two days before the 20 August presidential and provincial council…

18 August 2009 - UNAMA has compiled a Media Kit for journalists reporting on the 2009 elections in Afghanistan. The kit features information on the UN, the Independent Election Commission, the Electoral Complaints Commission, the Media Commission and key reports UNAMA has produced on the elections…

18 August 2009 - The candidate, clad in a simple salwar kameez, her head mostly hidden under a scarf, except for a tousle of thick black hair that deliberately manages to escape cover, enters a room filled with eager supporters. Smiles exchanged, and a few handshakes later, she gathers herself and…

KABUL - Patience is probably the one thing the electorate will need on polling day, which is just three days away. Election officials say on average a person may take up to ten minutes to complete voting. A voter should first stand in a queue before getting verified as genuine by IEC (Independent…

17 August 2009 - In a country where regime change has often been violent the appearance of incumbent President Hamid Karzai in a live televised debate must have come as a surprise to many Afghans. Last night the country tuned in to Hamid Karzai, Ashraf Ghani and Ramazan Bashardost debate the issues…

KABUL - UNAMA information for media representatives covering Afghanistan’s 2009 presidential and provincial council elections. UNAMA is operating a special elections news service this week with articles, photos, statements, announcements, audio and other news materials in English, Pashto, and Dari…

17 August 2009 - One and a half hours north outside Afghanistan’s capital city of Kabul is the peaceful province of Parwan. There are 324,000 registered voters here for the forthcoming presidential and provincial council elections on 20 August. And here, despite its proximity to modern Kabul, the…

KABUL - The Independent Election Commission is continuing to roll out its training programmes across Afghanistan for the presidential and provincial council elections on 20 August. In the ancient city of Herat, forty nine polling staff carefully listened to Mahmoud from the Election Commission, who…

KABUL - Increasing voter turnout is one of the main challenges for the upcoming presidential and provincial council elections in Afghanistan, on 20 August. To raise awareness about voting procedures and to step-up the number of voters, the Independent Election Commission – the Afghan institution…