Urging the Government of Afghanistan to ensure transparent and credible presidential and provincial elections in April 2014 by adhering to internationally accepted democratic standards, establishing a transparent electoral process, and ensuring security for voters and candidates.

affirms that the electoral process in Afghanistan should be determined and led by Afghan actors, with support from the international community, and should not be subject to internal or external interference;

expresses its strong support for credible, inclusive, and transparent presidential and provincial elections in April 2014;

urges the Government of Afghanistan to conduct the elections in full accordance with the Constitution of Afghanistan, to include maintaining the constitutionally-mandated allocation of seats for women’s parliamentary participation;

honors the sacrifice of United States, coalition, and Afghan service members who have been killed or injured since October 2001 in defense of the democratic rights of the Afghan people;

recognizes the substantial investment made by the United States taxpayers in support of stability, democracy, and the rule of law in Afghanistan, including efforts to end public corruption;

recognizes the commitment of the Government of Afghanistan to hold presidential elections in 2014 and the current president's commitment not to seek a third term;

recognizes that transparent and credible elections will help 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 dishonest;

recognizes that a democratically-elected and legitimate government is important to ensuring the long term stability of Afghanistan, as is the successful training and fielding of the Afghan National Security Forces;

urges the Government of Afghanistan to respect and support the independence and impartiality of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and the need for an independent and impartial elections complaints mechanism with clear jurisdiction over the final results, and urges all parties not to interfere with their deliberations;

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 fairly;

urges the IEC to adopt measures to better mitigate fraud, include marginalized groups, and improve electoral transparency of the polling and counting process and communicate these measures clearly and consistently to the people of Afghanistan;

urges the Government of Afghanistan to support a credible and effective electoral complaints mechanism whereby its members are perceived as impartial, it is given the ultimate authority on deciding whether a ballot or candidate is disqualified, and it has the time and resources to do its work;

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 period;

urges the Afghan National Security Forces to make every necessary effort to ensure the safety of voters and candidates;

expresses its support for the full participation of Afghan civil society in the election process;

urges the President of the United States to ensure that all United States Government efforts in Afghanistan are well-coordinated and are fully consistent with the American taxpayers longstanding commitment to stability, democracy, and the rule of law in Afghanistan, including efforts to end public corruption; and

urges the Secretary of State to condition financial, logistical, and political support for Afghanistan's 2014 elections based on the implementation of reforms in Afghanistan including—