[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
[November 4, 2004]
[Page 2949]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement Congratulating President Hamid Karzai 
on His Election as President of Afghanistan
November 4, 2004

    I congratulate President Karzai on his election victory. I commend 
the millions of Afghan men and women who voted in the first democratic 
election in their Nation's history. Through this simple act of voting, 
the Afghan people declared to the world their determination to move 
beyond a brutal legacy of oppression, terror, and fear to a future of 
hope, democracy, and freedom. The large turnout by Afghan women, who 
made up 40 percent of all voters, confirms that there is a vital role 
for women in the politics of a nation proud of its Islamic heritage. The 
election also makes clear that a free Afghanistan is a partner in the 
war on terror, a beacon of hope in a troubled region of the world, and 
an example to other countries working to realize the promise of freedom.