Afghanistan Lists Possible Candidates For Polls

5 June 2005 -- Afghan officials have published the names of more than 6,000 candidates who want to run in parliamentary and local elections in September.
The list of candidates has been displayed around the country. People have until 9 June to challenge a candidate's right to take part in the election. Election law bars anyone with a criminal record or ties to militia groups from running.

Some 588 of the 6,070 candidates are women, who were banned from public life under the former Taliban regime.

At least a quarter of all seats in both a new national legislature and provincial assemblies have been reserved for women.

Richard Atwood, chief of operations for the joint UN- Afghan election commission, said enough women have registered for the national legislature, but there is a slight shortfall for the provincial ones.

(AP)