The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday issued a statement calling on the Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Independent Elections Complaints Commission (IECC) to ensure that the votes of Afghans are accurately counted and that results are determined in a fair, inclusive and transparent manner.

The Independent Election Commission on Tuesday announced that 2,595,445 votes were cast in 4,384 centers across Afghanistan, but added that the numbers may change because the votes need to be confirmed during data entry.

The members of the Security Council regard the holding of the presidential elections in Afghanistan on September 28 as another important step in the democratic development of the country, the statement said.

The council commended the courage of all involved:

The members of the Security Council applauded the courage of Afghan voters, poll workers, election observers and security forces, who made the presidential election possible despite technical challenges and security threats, statement said.

The council also condemned Taliban attacks on election day and shared condolences with the families of the victims who were killed or wounded in the attacks.

In the statement, all presidential candidates were called upon to honor the code of conduct and respect the electoral process.

Officials from the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) on Tuesday this week rebuked candidates for making premature judgements on election results, saying those candidates who claim victory early are in violation of election law.

Premature claims about the election process could damage the trust of the public, said commissioners.

On Tuesday Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, a three-time presidential contender, appeared at a press conference in Kabul and said his team will form the next government as they have received the highest number of votes.

Other campaigns have also declared they would be winners if the votes were counted with transparency.