UN Resident Co-ordinator urges peaceful elections

United Nations Resident Co-ordinator here, Mikiko Tanaka yesterday said that ensuring a credible and peaceful general election is pivotal to the country’s future development and underlined the need for “dignified acceptance of the results by political parties”.

In a video message, she said “This is the time for all stakeholders to demonstrate commitment to democratic principles, processes and institutions and not lose sight of the fact that legitimate elections represent the voice and will of the people.

“I encourage all stakeholders to ensure an enabling environment for the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. Promoting a peaceful and calm atmosphere in respect of the rule of law is key for a credible poll. This includes respectful exchanges of partisan ideas without resorting to hateful and inflammatory speech through to the end of the electoral process. The dignified acceptance of the results by political parties will help to build confidence and trust in state institutions and create a foundation for cooperation beyond the election”.

She noted that the UN will not observe the election as election observation is done with a specific mandate from the Security Council or General Assembly and includes the deployment of a large team to systematically collect data on the electoral process.

“We are however closely monitoring political, security and human rights developments in the electoral context”, she said.