国际英语新闻:Guinea-Bissau urged to hold elections on time

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Economic Community of West African States, the African Union and the United Nations on Thursday urged Guinea-Bissau to hold its upcoming legislative elections on time and under the "conditions of transparency, regularity and credibility."

In a joint communique, the three bodies urged all stakeholders to work towards creating the necessary conditions for the smooth running of the electoral process.

The West African country is set to hold the elections of its People's National Assembly on Nov.18. But there have been talks of delaying the polls to allow for more time for voter registration.

The three organizations also call upon African countries and the international community as a whole to mobilize the resources and logistical means required for the holding of the electoral process.

The elections will "constitute a milestone in consolidating the gains achieved in Guinea-Bissau. In this context, the support of the international community remains more necessary than ever," the communique said.

In late August, Jose Viegas Filho, the special representative of the secretary-general for Guinea-Bissau said at UN Headquarters that the preparation for the elections had met some difficulties.

The problems, he said, included disagreements voiced by some political actors against the 30-day timeframe set by the government for voter registration, when the law stipulates a 90-day period for the process, and delays in arrival of biometric kits.