OSCE Chairman appoints Ambassador Robert Barry to head Election Support Team in Afghanistan

SOFIA, 16 September 2004 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, has appointed Ambassador Robert Barry of the United States as Head of the OSCE Election Support Team for next month's presidential elections in Afghanistan.

Ambassador Barry, an experienced diplomat who has taken part in numerous OSCE election missions, will head a team comprising senior officials from the OSCE Secretariat and the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) as well as staff seconded by OSCE participating States.

"The Bulgarian OSCE Chairmanship attaches great importance to assisting the normalization of Afghanistan and its steady progress towards democracy and respect for human rights," the Chairman-in-Office said. "We believe that the Presidential Elections on 9 October 2004 should accelerate the pace of these historic developments."

The OSCE Permanent Council decided on 29 July, in response to a request from Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, to send an Election Support Team to Afghanistan. The team will analyze various aspects of the electoral process and prepare recommendations for the Afghan government to help improve the running of elections in future.

This is the first time the OSCE will have been involved in elections in a country which is not a member of the OSCE. Afghanistan became an OSCE Partner for Co-operation in 2003.

"This demonstrates the OSCE's strong determination to assist an important neighbour and the Organization's ability to respond quickly and effectively," Minister Passy said. "The OSCE is keen to expand our cooperation with Afghanistan."