Jakarta – Indonesia's vice president set an August target date for elections in Indonesia's tsunami-ravaged Aceh province. The elections are a key part of a peace agreement reached last year to end a 29-year civil war.

Jusuf Kalla said he would ask the European Union to extend its Aceh peace monitoring mission two months beyond its June expiration so they could oversee the elections, in which former rebels will run.

Local elections – a key rebel demand – were initially scheduled to take place this month but Indonesia's parliament has failed to pass necessary legislation, sparking allegations of foot-dragging.

But Kalla told visiting E.U. policy chief Javier Solana that the government remained committed to the peace process and hoped to pass a bill by late May.

"Then we'll need three months (to prepare) for a local election," he said. "So the election will probably be held in early August."

Communication Minister Sofyan Djalil was more specific: He said the polls could be held between Aug. 5 and 12, though the dates depend largely on the timing of the bill's passage.

Solana, who wraps up a three-day visit to Indonesia Sunday, reiterated the E.U.'s commitment to the peace process and said, despite a few hiccups, he was pleased at the progress so far.

"As far as the EU is concerned we are going to accompany the process until the end," he told reporters after meeting Kalla.

Efforts to end fighting that claimed 15,000 lives picked up pace after the Dec. 26, 2004 tsunami crashed into Aceh's coastline, killing or leaving missing at least 180,000 people in Aceh.

Seven months later a peace accord was signed, with the rebels agreeing to hand over all of their self-declared 840 weapons and give up their long-held demand for independence.