NEW YORK, April 15 (UPI) -- Following Guinea-Bissau's presidential and parliamentary elections on Sunday, both the United Nations and the United States congratulated the West African country for its timely and orderly elections.
They were the first elections held since a 2012 coup deposed interim President Raimundo Pereira.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson commended the high voter turn-out, observing that "By participating in high numbers, they have clearly expressed their desire for the full return to constitutional and order in their country." The timely elections were made possible, he said, by international partners providing both technical and financial support.
As the country awaits a final tally, the secretary-general reiterated "his call to all candidates to respect the official results when announced by the Supreme Court and to follow existing legal procedures to resolve any electoral disputes."
U.S. Department of State spokesperson Jen Psaki relayed America's congratulations to "the Bissau-Guinean people for their patience and civic engagement, and commend the hard work of thousands of Bissau-Guineans who operated more than 3,000 polling stations throughout the country."
The elections, the State Department noted, "are powerful testimony of the strong desire of the people of Guinea-Bissau for constitutional and democratic government."
As the country moves forward following Sunday's elections, the U.S. government urged "the country's leaders, both civilian and military, to hear the voice of their people and bring the political transition period to a successful conclusion."
[United Nations] [State Department]
