2.  Ariana News’ recent coverage of electoral
reform has included articles on the creation
of an electoral reforms commission and
comments by the U.N. Secretary-General’s
Special Representative Nicholas Haysom.
Published in quick succession, the articles
each gave hints of progress being made.
The first article focused on Mr. Haysom’s
remarks about the necessity of the national
unity government in Afghanistan following
through on reform promises.

3.  He noted that the power-sharing
agreement underpinning the present
government included an obligation to
conduct electoral reform, and he pledged
the support of the United Nations to help
with reform efforts. In response, an Afghan
official said that the members of the
electoral reform commission had been
identified, and that the government was
waiting for the president to make the
commission official before announcing the
names.

4.  Following just a few hours later, the second
article gave more details about the
commission. A spokesperson for the
president said to Ariana that the
commission would be formed after the
second round of campaigning, which
would occur soon. He also expressed the
president’s commitment to reform and said
that the president considers the creation of
political consensus about the function of
the commission very important.