KABUL - The Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Thursday said the vote audit process was proceeding in the presence of Afghan and international observers.

Representatives of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) are also involved 8in the process, the commission said, asking both candidates to accept results.

IEC spokesman Noor Mohammad Noor told a news conference apart from Afghan and international observers and UNAMA representatives, 17 other diplomatic missions were overseeing the audit.

The final results would be ready in a few days, the spokesman said, without giving a specific date. But the UN mission has ruled out audit completion before Sept. 10.

The UN mission was directly involved in managing the audit, he said, hoping there would no hindrance to the exercise and both candidates would accept the results.

On Wednesday, UNAMA said negotiations between the presidential candidates were underway on forming a national unity government.

President Hamid Karzai, whose tenure was extended by a month, has repeatedly stressed his successor must be inaugurated on Sept 2.

Noor asked the UN, Afghan and international observers to enhance their numbers to accelerate the audit. So far 17,400 of 23,000 ballot boxes have been audited. (Pajhwok)