UN envoy to Afghanistan calls for fair election

KABUL, July 13 (Xinhua)-- Special representative of United Nations Secretary General to Afghanistan Kai Eide has described the coming presidential election in Afghanistan as critical and called for a fair and transparent poll, a statement issued by his office here Monday said.

"It is critical to ensure a level playing field, which can provide the basis for a credible and inclusive election process and a result acceptable to the Afghan people," he said in the statement.

Afghanistan's second Presidential and Provincial Councils' election set for August 20 and some 17 million Afghans eligible to vote would use their franchise to elect the country's next president.

Describing the August 20 election more than choosing Afghanistan's future leader, the UN envoy noted, "It is important to strengthen people's confidence in the democratic process and to strengthen Afghanistan's democratic institution."

The UN envoy also warned that, "No body's interests can be served by an election result, which is disputed and harms the legitimacy of the future government."

Eide also said "the international community must avoid any interference in the election process."

Rivals to the incumbent President Hamid Karzai in the race have been accusing him of using state machinery to win the coming presidential election.

The second presidential election in the post-Taliban country is going to be held amid tight security as Taliban insurgents vowed to disrupt it and the U.S. and allied have pledged to deploy more troops in Afghanistan ahead of the election.