18 February 2004	Wednesday	26 Zilhaj 1424

KABUL, Feb 17: Afghanistan's first-ever elections set for June should not go ahead if the vote is not as widespread and fair as planned, EU External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten said on Tuesday.

Worries have grown in recent months about the election target because the security situation outside Afghanistan's big cities is still very bad and because a voter registration drive - linked to better security - has been slow.

"Obviously there is a relationship between the security situation and the ability to hold free and fair elections," Mr Patten said on a visit to Kabul.

"What would most bother us would be if elections went ahead in circumstances where they simply would not be possible in large parts of the country," Mr Patten replied when asked if the European Union would be unhappy if the elections were delayed.

"Now I don't think that would happen... I am sure the United Nations would not want that to happen either," he said after meetings President Hamid Karzai and other officials.

Mr Karzai - who is expected easily to win the presidential vote - has said he wants the election held on schedule, but the United Nations, which is assisting the process, has questioned whether this is possible unless security is improved.

Afghanistan is experiencing its worst period of violence since the ouster of the Taliban, with more than 550 people killed since early August. The European Union has been one of the biggest donors to Afghan reconstruction since the ouster of the Taliban in 2001.

It has given 580 million euros the last two years, and expects to disburse a further 300 million euros in 2004, far ahead of an original pledge of 200 million euros a year for five years. -Reuters