KABUL (PAN): The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) will deploy 50 international observers in 10 provinces to monitor the August 20 presidential and provincial council polls in Afghanistan.

ANFREL said on Sunday the observers were drawn from different parts of Asia, making it the only regional election observation group in Afghanistan.

The network will work in close coordination with local election monitoring group Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA).

 This is the third time that ANFREL will be monitoring elections in Afghanistan, the last two being in 2004 and 2005. The ANFREL team will be led by its Chairperson Damaso G. Magbual from the Philippines.

Executive Director Ms. Somsri Hananuntasuk and Mission Director Ichal Supriadi are currently supervising Election Observation Mission (EOM) activities.

A team of 20 long-term observers (LTOs) was deployed to different provinces of Afghanistan on July 29, 2009. Notwithstanding security challenges and restrictions on movements, most of the LTOs have expressed their optimism that the elections would pass off peacefully.

Established in 1997 as Asias first regional network of civil society organisations, ANFREL strives to promote and support democratisation at national and regional levels in the region.

A team of 20 Long Term Observers (LTOs) was deployed to different provinces of Afghanistan on July 29, 2009. Despite the security challenge and restrictions on movements, most of the LTOs have expressed their optimism the elections would pass off peacefully.

Prior to the LTOs deployment a five member core team of ANFREL arrived in Kabul between July 21 and July 25.

The core teams visit was preceded by an exploratory mission to assess the prevailing political and security situation in Afghanistan.

Following the visit of the exploratory team led by ANFREL Chairperson Damaso G Magbual, the decision to send 20 LTOs and 30 short-term observers (STOs) was taken. The STOs will arrive in Kabul on August 12. Pajhwok Reporter