Kabul, July 27: Afghan President Hamid Karzai will create a joint UN-government committee to organise presidential elections scheduled to be held by June 2004, the official Bakhtar News Agency said today. "A joint committee will be created to supervise the electoral process in 2004," Bakhtar said, citing a new presidential decree.
The committee will comprise 10 members -- five designated by Karzai and five by the representative of the United Nations assistance mission in Afghanistan.

According to the decree, its task is to "organise the elections, ensure the registration of voters and ensure that the decisions of the transitional government on the elections are put in place." A two-member sub-committee, comprising one government and one UN representative, would also be set up within the committee to register complaints and settle disputes over the registration of voters and organisation of the polls.
Under the timetable established by the Bonn accord signed late-2001 following the ousting of the Taliban regime, Afghanistan has to adopt a new constitution by October and organise presidential elections by June 2004, marking the end of the country's transition to democracy. A nationwide consultation is currently underway on the draft constitution, which has not yet been made public.
Afghans within the country and abroad have been submitting their suggestions on the form of government they want to see take power next year.
Bureau Report