Afghan poll should be source of unity not discord: India

Amid the impasse in the Afghan presidential election, India Saturday said the process "should become a source of unity, not of discord" and that New Delhi counts on the wisdom of the Afghan people and the candidates "to find an amicable solution" in the country's larger interests.

Answering a query on the Afghan election, external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said India has consistently stood with the Afghan people in their quest to build a peaceful, stable, united, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan.

"We hope that the final outcome of the presidential election will be in accordance with the constitution and the electoral laws of Afghanistan, including on the use of mechanisms for redressing election-related complaints and grievances," Akbaruddin said.

"This will ensure that the election is broadly acceptable to the people of Afghanistan," he added.

He said a credible, peaceful and transparent election, accepted by all, and leading to a smooth political transition was essential for the Afghans to achieve the goal and preserve the enormous gains they have made in the past decade in the face of formidable odds.

"Therefore, at this critical juncture of multiple transitions for Afghanistan, the election process should become a source of unity, not of discord," Akbaruddin said.

He said India has deeply admired the democratic commitment shown by the people of Afghanistan in the presidential election, despite widespread threats of violence.

"We count on the wisdom of the Afghan people, the government and the election machinery of Afghanistan and, above all, the two candidates to find an amicable solution for smooth completion of the election process in Afghanistan's larger interest," he said.

The Afghanistan Election Commission had earlier this week said former finance minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai was leading the preliminary results of June's presidential runoff polls, but his opponent Abdullah Abdullah's team termed the declaration "illegitimate".