E. Timor's governing council meets<\/p>\n
DILI, East Timor (AFP): A former supporter of autonomy with
\nIndonesia sat down with independence leaders and UN officials on
\nSaturday for the first meeting of East Timor's governing council.<\/p>\n
Salvador Soares, of the East Timor People's Front, was the
\nlone autonomy representative at the first meeting of the National
\nConsultative Council (NCC), a type of cabinet for East Timor.<\/p>\n
\"This is a momentous occasion, a key milestone both in the
\nestablishment of the transitional administration and in the
\nevolution toward self-governance by the people of East Timor,\"
\nSergio Vieira de Mello, who heads the UN Transitional
\nAdministration in East Timor (UNTAET), told the meeting's
\nopening.<\/p>\n
De Mello chairs the council which includes seven members of
\nthe National Council of Timorese Resistance, a Catholic priest
\nand three other senior UNTAET officials. Two other members, who
\nwill join Soares as representatives from outside the pro-
\nindependence CNRT, have yet to be named.<\/p>\n
De Mello referred to the presence of Soares and said the
\nCouncil will be an important step in the process of
\nreconciliation among East Timorese.<\/p>\n
Xanana Gusmao, the CNRT president who also sits on the
\ncouncil, called Soares \"our brother.\"<\/p>\n
Soares is the former owner of Suara Timor Timur, the Voice of
\nEast Timor newspaper whose offices were attacked by pro-
\nIndonesian militias earlier this year. The destruction silenced
\nthe paper for a while but it re-emerged with a bias in favor of
\nautonomy with Indonesia during the campaign for the Aug. 30
\nballot.<\/p>\n
East Timorese overwhelmingly voted for independence, a
\ndecision which unleashed a campaign of destruction by Indonesian
\nsecurity forces and their militias in September.<\/p>\n
In its first meeting, the council heard a presentation from
\ntwo experts from the International Monetary Fund about setting up
\nthe foundations for a finance ministry, a central bank and a
\ntaxation and revenue system, said UNTAET spokesman Monoel de
\nAlmeida e Silva.<\/p>\n
\"These very high level experts came to brief the council on
\nwhat the issues are, what the implications are and what their
\nneeds are,\" de Almeida e Silva said. \"The NCC considers these
\nmatters as urgent.\"<\/p>\n
He said the council asked for detailed presentations to review
\nat its next meeting on Dec. 28-29.<\/p>\n
Soares and the other councillors began their first meeting by
\nswearing to respect the results of the ballot, to promote human
\nrights and democratic principles, and to reject the use of
\nviolence.<\/p>\n
De Mello said he thought the council could have been named the
\nNational Salvation Council.<\/p>\n
\"I do believe that is our task,\" he said, and Gusmao agreed.
\nSpeaking of the \"sad, calamitous state in which East Timor finds
\nitself,\" de Mello said calamity calls for unity.<\/p>\n
\"I hope we will be able to demonstrate unity of purpose in
\nthis consultative council,\" de Mello said.<\/p>\n
Gusmao committed himself to working with UNTAET and said he
\nhoped other organizations \"will understand that it is this kind
\nof working together that will help us solve the problems of the
\nTimor people.<\/p>\n
\"We know that our task won't be easy,\" Gusmao said.<\/p>\n
De Mello urged East Timorese to put aside their political
\naspirations and put all their resources into forging a
\npartnership for the future.<\/p>\n
\"For now, in my view, we must pool all of our energy,
\ncreativity and resources to achieve a common good, to realize a
\nshared vision and together build a country which will be a proud
\nhome to all East Timorese,\" de Mello said.<\/p>\n
The council will be the main way in which East Timorese
\nparticipate in the transitional political process.<\/p>\n
The council, which met around wooden desks arranged in a
\nsquare at a simple office in UNTAET headquarters, decided to form
\ncommittees in health, agriculture, finance and macroeconomics,
\ninfrastructure rebuilding, and local administration, which were
\nidentified as priorities, said de Almeida e Silva.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/e-timors-governing-council-meets-1447893297",
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