,,iii #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #aea ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #ba1 #bjac ,mr4 ,casey 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,mc,cain1 and ,mr4 ,menendez7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,urging the ,government of ,afghanistan to ensure transparent and credible presidential and provincial elections in ,april #bjad by adhering to internationally accepted democratic standards1 establishing a transparent electoral process1 and ensuring security for voters and candidates4 ,whereas ,afghanistan's ,independent ,election ,commission has affirmed that ,afghanistan will hold presidential and provincial elections in ,april #bjad and parliamentary elections in #bjae2 ,whereas ,afghanistan's current electoral process was established in #bjjd by the ,constitution of ,afghanistan2 ,whereas the ,tokyo ,mutual ,accountability ,framework conditions some international assistance to ,afghanistan on the holding of credible1 inclusive1 and transparent elections in #bjad and #bjae1 among other measures to improve governance2 ,whereas ,afghanistan lacks a comprehensive and accurate voter registry1 and previous voter registration drives have resulted in duplicate or fraudulent registrations1 according to a report by the ,national ,democratic ,institute2 ,whereas security concerns and voter intimidation have impeded the ability of people in ,afghanistan to cast votes reliably and safely in past elections2 ,whereas ,afghan women in particular are prevented from meaningful participation in the electoral process due to the security environment1 the scarcity of female poll workers1 and lack of awareness of women's political rights and opportunities1 according to the ,free and ,fair ,election ,foundation of ,afghanistan2 ,whereas ,afghanistan's #bjji presidential election was characterized by inadequate security for voters and candidates1 low voter turnout1 and widespread fraud1 according to the ,national ,democratic ,institute2 ,whereas ,afghan officials1 including ,president ,karzai and ,attorney ,general ,mohammad ,ishaq ,aloko1 disputed the results of ,afghanistan's #bjaj parliamentary elections and established a ,special ,election ,tribunal to investigate allegations of fraud2 ,whereas1 following the #bjaj parliamentary elections1 ,democracy ,international's ,afghanistan ,election ,observation ,mission concluded that comprehensive electoral reform is necessary to ensure a free1 fair1 and credible election process in #bjad2 ,whereas the ,honorable ,hamid ,karzai is the first democratically elected president of modern ,afghanistan and has served two terms in that position2 ,whereas the ,constitution of ,afghanistan states1 8,no one can be elected as president for more than two terms402 ,whereas ,president ,karzai stated on ,january #aa1 #bjac1 alongside ,president ,barack ,obama1 8,the greatest of my achievements ''' will be a proper1 well-organized1 interference-free election in which the ,afghan people can elect their next president402 ,whereas1 on several occasions since the late #aigjs1 civil war has broken out in ,afghanistan over the legitimacy of the ,afghan government2 ,whereas ,united ,states taxpayers have invested more than #hi1ejj1jjj1jjj in reconstruction and humanitarian assistance to ,afghanistan since ,october #bjja1 according to the ,special ,inspector ,general for ,afghanistan ,reconstruction 7,,sigar72 ,whereas a democratically elected and legitimate government that reflects the will of the ,afghan people is in the vital security interests of ,afghanistan1 the ,united ,states1 its partners in the ,,nato ,international ,security ,assistance ,force 7,,isaf71 and ,afghanistan's neighbors2 and ,whereas the most critical milestone for ,afghanistan's future stability is a peaceful and credible transition of power through presidential elections in #bjad3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 affirms that the electoral process in ,afghanistan should be determined and led by ,afghan actors1 with support from the international community1 and should not be subject to internal and external interference2 7#b7 expresses its strong support for credible1 inclusive1 and transparent presidential and provincial elections in ,april #bjad2 7#c7 urges the ,government of ,afghanistan to conduct the elections in full accordance with the ,constitution of ,afghanistan1 to include maintaining the quota for women's parliamentary participation2 7#d7 honors the sacrifice of ,united ,states1 coalition1 and ,afghan servicemembers who have been killed or injured since ,october #bjja in defense of the democratic rights of the ,afghan people2 7#e7 recognizes the substantial investment made by the ,united ,states taxpayers in support of stability and democracy in ,afghanistan2 7#f7 recognizes the contributions made by the government of ,president ,hamid ,karzai to the democratic progress of ,afghanistan1 including statements by ,president ,karzai committing to hold presidential elections in #bjad and not seek a third term2 7#g7 recognizes that transparent and credible elections will safeguard the legitimacy of the next ,afghan government and will help prevent future violence by groups that may be ready to contest a process perceived as rigged or dishonest2 7#h7 recognizes that a democratically elected and legitimate government is as important to ensuring the long-term stability of ,afghanistan as the successful training and fielding of the ,afghan ,national ,security ,forces2 7#i7 urges the ,government of ,afghanistan to recognize the independence and impartiality of the ,independent ,electoral ,commission 7,,iec7 and an elections complaints mechanism with clear jurisdiction over the final results1 and urges all parties not to interfere with their deliberations2 7#aj7 urges the ,parliament of ,afghanistan to pass legislation that will establish a consultative and inclusive process for appointing elections commissioners and allowing election disputes to be resolved transparently and fairly2 7#aa7 urges the ,,iec to adopt measures to better mitigate fraud1 include marginalized groups1 and improve electoral transparency of the polling and counting process and communicate these measures clearly and consistently to the people of ,afghanistan2 7#ab7 urges the ,government of ,afghanistan to support a credible and effective electoral complaints mechanism whereby its members are perceived as impartial1 it is given the ultimate authority on deciding whether a ballot or candidate is disqualified1 and it has the time and resources to do its work2 7#ac7 urges close and continuing communication between the ,,iec and the ,afghan ,national ,security ,forces to identify and provide security for vulnerable areas of the country during the election period2 7#ad7 urges the ,afghan ,national ,security ,forces to make every necessary effort to ensure the safety of voters and candidates2 7#ae7 expresses its support for the full participation of ,afghan civil society in the election process2 and 7#af7 urges the ,secretary of ,state to condition financial1 logistical1 and political support for ,afghanistan's #bjad elections based on the implementation of reforms in ,afghanistan including-- 7,a7 increased efforts to encourage women's participation in the electoral process1 including provisions to ensure their full access to and security at polling stations2 7,b7 the implementation of measures to prevent fraudulent registration and manipulation of the voting or counting processes1 including-- 7i7 establishment of processes to better control ballots2 7ii7 vetting of and training for election officials2 and 7iii7 full accreditation of and access for international and domestic election observers2 and 7,c7 prompt passage of legislation through the ,parliament of ,afghanistan that codifies the authorities and independence of the ,,iec and an independent and impartial election complaints mechanism4