India confident Afghan elections will strengthen democracy

Hailing the elections in Afghanistan, India today said it is confident the exercise will strengthen "democracy and pluralism" in the war-ravaged country.
 
"The Afghan Presidential and Provincial Council elections held on August 20 were one of the largest democratic exercises in the history of Afghanistan," external affairs minister SM Krishna said.
 
As a fellow developing country and democracy, India "remains strongly supportive" of the election process and democratic institutions of Afghanistan, he said.

"We are confident that the current elections will strengthen democracy and pluralism in Afghanistan. As a long-standing friend of the Afghan people, and a fellow member of SAARC, it is gratifying to see the democratic process taking strong roots in Afghanistan," he said.

Krishna noted that candidates campaigned fearlessly and new voters registered themselves in large numbers despite the complex security environment and threat from terrorist groups.
  
He also admired the "courage and determination" of the Afghan voters and all the candidates for participating in the election process "despite the intimidation and violence which the opponents of democracy have subjected them to".