The European Commission says it is sending 100 monitors to Afghanistan to observe the country's presidential and provincial elections on Aug. 20. Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the bloc's External Relations Commissioner, says efforts by the monitors to ensure a fair vote will be «one of the most difficult» in terms of security and logistics. The EU observer team will be headed by French EU lawmaker, retired Gen. Philippe Morillon. EU spokeswoman Christiane Hohmann told journalists Monday the observers would be deployed «on a regional basis,» adding that their safety «will be assured» by both Afghan police and other EU security forces. Some 17 EU experts are already in Afghanistan to monitor pre-election preparations. The others will arrive just before voting starts to observe the voting, the count and the announcement of results, according to a report of The Associated Press.
