LONDON (Islamweb & News Agencies) - Top U.N. negotiator Francesc Vendrell sees elections taking place in Afghanistan within three years.
And the first step to a stable government could take place within a week with Northern Alliance leaders and representatives of the former King Zahir Shah meeting in a neutral overseas venue.
Vendrell, plotting out the scenario for a post-Taliban Afghanistan, told Britain's Guardian newspaper in Kabul that he was upbeat about the prospects for the war-weary country.
``One of the reasons why I'm optimistic this time is that not only are we learning from past experiences but also because the international community, this time, is fully committed to provide massive rehabilitation and reconstruction to this city.''
Asked when he hoped to be able to convene a meeting of the Alliance and the King's representatives, he said: ``I would like to convene very, very soon. If it could be within a week or 10 days, that will be excellent.''
Laying out U.N. plans in detail, the deputy U.N. special representative to Afghanistan he said he hoped an interim government would serve a fixed term -- perhaps two years.
A national census would help to prepare a list of registered voters and he said: ``You are talking about elections within two and a half to three years.''