Four international experts appointed by UN envoy to help run Afghan legislative elections

The senior United Nations envoy for Afghanistan today appointed four international electoral experts to serve on the commission charged with preparing and conducting the country's national legislative and district polls scheduled for later this year.

Jean Arnault, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, announced that Canada's Alison Redford, Australia's Julian Type, India's Noor Mohammad and Ray Kennedy of the United States have been selected to sit on the Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB).

The JEMB is comprised of the four officials – each one has extensive experience in helping to organize elections in foreign countries – and the nine-member Afghan Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). After the elections are held, the IEC will assume full responsibility for the running of future elections in Afghanistan.

Mr. Arnault has also appointed Peter Erben as the IEC's Chief Electoral Officer, his spokesman Manoel de Almeida e Silva told reporters in the Afghan capital of Kabul.