Rendi Akhmad Witular, Jakarta – The government has asked the international Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) to extend its presence in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam to help ensure upcoming local elections – to be participated in by former rebels – comply with the peace accord signed by Jakarta and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Vice President Jusuf Kalla on Sunday asked visiting European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana to extend the monitoring mission until elections are completed in August.

"The mandate of the AMM is scheduled to end June 15. But we will need them for another two months to monitor the elections, scheduled to be held in the first week of August with the results due a week after that," Kalla said during a joint press conference with Solana.

Kalla said deliberation of the bill on Aceh governance, which will form the basis for elections in the province once passed into law, was expected to be completed by the end of May. The government will need around three months to prepare for elections once the bill is passed.

Local elections are among the key points in the peace agreement signed last Aug. 15 by the government and the GAM, which ended a 32-year separatist conflict that claimed the lives of more than 15,000 civilians, rebels and military personnel.

The AMM was established to monitor the implementation of various aspects of the agreement. At its creation, the monitoring mission had a total of 210 members representing European Union and Southeast Asian countries. About 50 of the mission's members left the province after the former rebels handed in the last of their weapons in March.

In response to the request, Solana reiterated the EU's commitment to the peace process in Aceh, saying the EU was very pleased with the progress in the implementation of the peace agreement.

"We have spoken of the situation and the implementation of the peace accord in Aceh. Things are going very well and we are very pleased with the cooperation. We are going to accompany the peace process until the election," said Solana.

Analysts believe extending the term of the monitoring mission will help Indonesian authorities and former separatists establish a long-lasting commitment to peace, despite the possible opposition from some legislators.

Meanwhile, Kalla also asked the EU to provide "special treatment" for Aceh in terms of trade, to help bolster the economy of the tsunami-stricken province. "We have discussed the possibility of Aceh being given special treatment for its exports to EU countries. This is to help revive economic activities in Aceh after the tsunami," Kalla said.

Information and Communications Minister Sofyan Djalil said the special trade terms could include a reduction in import duties by EU countries for several products originating in Aceh, such as coffee. "The proposal from the Vice President will be discussed further with our EU counterparts. The aim of the proposal is to help products from Aceh enter Europe at very competitive prices," he said.

In response, Solana said a comprehensive agreement was being worked out between the EU and Indonesia, covering cooperation in the fields of politics and the economy. That agreement is scheduled to be signed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during an upcoming visit to Brussels, Belgium.