MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Downer
The Australian Government will support a United Nations program in
Afghanistan to register voters for a general election scheduled for June this
year.
Australia will contribute $2 million towards the United Nations Development
Program (UNDP) activity.
More than ten million Afghans are eligible to vote and the UN program aims to
establish a voters' register that meets international standards.
UN agencies are also running education and information campaigns to make
voters and political leaders aware of their mutual rights and duties under a
democratic electoral process.
Public education is an important component of the program, particularly in
relation to countering cultural factors that are making it difficult for women
to register as voters.
The project is also aimed at institution and capacity building of the interim
Afghanistan Electoral Commission to support the voter registration process and
the overall conduct of elections.
Australia's assistance to Afghanistan for the period September 2001-June 2004
is estimated to be worth $85.8 million, of which about $62 million has already
been disbursed.
This represents Australia's third largest response to a single humanitarian
crisis after East Timor and Iraq.
Media inquiries:
Chris Kenny (Ministerial) 02 6277 7500 or 0419 206 890
Jo Elsom (AusAID) 02 6206 4960 or 0412 804 489