Iran Felicitates Successful Holding Of 2nd Round Of Afghan Election

Tehran, June 16, IRNA – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham congratulate the successful holding of the second round of presidential elections in Afghanistan. ˈThe Afghan president-elect enjoys the respect and support of the Islamic republic of Iran,ˈ Afkham said on Sunday. She noted that Iran is determined to strengthen its relations with Afghanistan. Abdullah Abdullah, who emerged as the front-runner with 45 percent of the vote in the first round, faced Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, an ex-World Bank official and finance minister. Neither garnered the majority needed to win outright, but previous candidates and their supporters have since offered endorsements to each, making the final outcome unpredictable. The two men differ more in personality than policy. Both promise to sign a long-delayed security pact with the United States, which President Hamid Karzai has rebuffed. That would allow nearly 10,000 American troops to remain in the country for two more years to conduct counterterrorism operations and continue training and advising the ill-prepared Afghan army and police. And both pledge to fight for peace and against corruption./end