"It is also the first time we have agreed to supervise elections in an independent country."

By May 5, the soldiers had supervised elections for mayor and city council.

United States officials supervised elections at the request of incumbent governments.

They have also talked of establishing an interim government and supervising elections.

United Nations peacekeeping forces have yet to arrive in the country to supervise free and fair elections.

This was followed by a posting to Nicaragua, where he helped supervise free elections in 1927.

He also supervised the Cambodian peace talks and subsequent elections in 1993.

Kerry said the United Nations must play a central role in supervising elections.

"Since we're here to supervise free elections, why don't we let the Oberonians work out their own political realities?"

The trend across the country has been to have nonpartisan administrators supervise elections.