Both the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute, U.S.-based democracy support NGOs who sent observers to the initial round of voting, cite a need for enhanced security, better monitoring at each station and greater regulation of the use of state resources for campaigning.
“Millions of Afghans voted on Aug. 20 despite the threats of violence, demonstrating their strong desire for a government that derives its authority from the will of the people,” said NDI in a statement released the day after Karzai's announcement. “Everything possible should be done in the limited time available to apply lessons learned from the first round of polling to ensure that the results of the runoff election meet the desires of citizens and ensure legitimacy for the elected government.”