A US based NGO which works on governmental issues has criticized the

Governments planned commune election laws.

The International Republican

Institute has warned that unless the proposed law is changed the commune

elections "could be as fundamentally flawed as the controversial 1998

Parliamentary elections."

IRI cites a lack of independence for commune

councils from the Interior Ministry, failure to reform the National Election

Commission and the failure to establish a credible and independent mechanism to

deal with election complaints as among its main concerns.