A U.N. electoral team was to arrive in Beirut Wednesday to assist the government in organizing parliamentary elections to take place this month. The team is headed by Carina Perelli, director of the Electoral Assistance Division at U.N. headquarters in New York, which also provided assistance for the general elections in Iraq in January, DPA reported. A U.N. spokesman said Perelli and her staff will remain in Lebanon for two weeks. "Its task will be to assist the government in its preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections and in the coordination of the deployment of international observers," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. "The secretary general (Kofi Annan) reiterates his strong support for the government of Lebanon's pledge to organize and conduct the elections on time, beginning on May 29," the spokesman said. "He stands ready to provide further assistance as required."
