MOSCOW - Days after the final results of the Afghan election were announced, in which the incumbent President Ashraf Ghani was declared winner, a spokesperson for Russia's Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said the following during a Moscow briefing on Thursday:
"Russia is concerned about the controversy around the results of the presidential election in Afghanistan, which could further worsen the political situation in the country. All this could have a negative impact on the launch of an inter-Afghan peace process."
Zakharova also said: “We noted that Ashraf Ghani’s key rival in the presidential campaign – Chief Executive of the Unity Government Abdullah Abdullah – did not recognize the results announced by the Election Commission and announced the creation of a parallel government. There is information that other presidential contenders may support this position."
“We urge all of the country’s political forces to find an effective solution to the current situation, that will meet the interests of the Afghan people and help them establish lasting peace in Afghanistan,” the spokesperson said.
This comes as the Council of Presidential Candidates during a press conference on Thursday, Feb. 20, called for the final results of the presidential election to be disregarded.
A number of presidential candidates who are members of the council blame the electoral commission for neglecting its duties, which, according to them, has led the country into a crisis.
The final results of the presidential election were announced on Tuesday, Feb. 18, by the Independent Election Commission, and Ashraf Ghani was elected president for the second time.
However, a number of presidential candidates, including Abdullah Abdullah, Rahmatullah Nabil and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, have rejected the result.
Abdullah, meanwhile, has announced that he is the winner and said he will form another government.
On the other hand, however, a number of supporters of Ashraf Ghani's team at a gathering in Kabul on Friday insisted that no group would be allowed to create chaos in the country.
“Declaring a parallel government is a dream. We urge the president to apply the law against those who declare a parallel government,” said Mohammad Ibrahim Alkozai, a supporter of Ghani’s team.
The final results of the presidential election were announced Tuesday, about five months after the election was held on September 28, 2019. (TOLO NEWS)