04 July 2004	Sunday	15 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

KABUL, July 3: Afghans held more talks on Saturday to try to iron out disagreements over a date for their first ever direct elections as a deadline for announcing the September polls expired.

President Hamid Karzai has said repeatedly that he wants the presidential and parliamentary polls in September, but under the election law a date has to be announced 90 days in advance.

Farouq Wardak, a senior member of the Election Commission, said consultations between political parties and election authorities were still going on and it was still possible the polls would be held in September.

"We are hopeful this (the date) can be decided in the coming week - consultations are going on," he told Reuters. "One option could be to amend the law. The government can do this."

The polls have already had to be postponed from June due to security worries and slow voter registration, and unless held by mid-October they would have to be delayed until spring because of the fasting month of Ramazan and the onset of winter.

One election official said some political parties wanted to delay the parliamentary polls until spring, even though the constitution calls for a presidential and parliamentary vote at the same time.

Mr Karzai has repeatedly called for September elections during recent international visits. But in earlier pronouncements in Afghanistan's Dari and Pushto languages, he has talked of holding them in Mizan - a month of the Afghan calendar that runs from Sept 22 to Oct 21.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Omar Samad said on Friday that the government intended to hold the elections within Mizan.

"It could be the end of September, it could be first week of October; we are still in line with what we have said," he said.

The UN, the election co-organiser, suggested on Thursday the polls may have to be delayed, but said a matter of a few days should not be seen as a major problem.

US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said on Wednesday they appeared on track for September, but added more progress was needed to disarm factional militias and warned of more attacks by militants who have vowed to disrupt the vote.-Reuters