Dili - East Timor's UN administrators Tuesday said they would push ahead with historic elections in August despite fears of unrest. UN administrator Sergio Vieira de Mello has signed an order for the elections for a new governing assembly to proceed on Aug. 30 as planned, said UN spokesperson Barbara Reis.

The 88-member assembly will help draft a constitution and steer the nascent nation to full independence sometime next year. Campaigning for the elections will officially start on July 15. The decision comes despite calls from some East Timorese political leaders for the poll to be postponed due to fears that fighting may break out among supporters of rival parties.

Last month, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan told the Security Council in New York that the UN peacekeeping force and civilian police were gearing up for an increase in politically motivated violence ahead of the elections. He said there was a widely shared fear among the population that the ballot would lead to unrest.

Nearly 90% of East Timor's 800,000 population have already registered for the August elections.