Half of East Timor's eligible voters register for poll<\/p>\n
DILI, East Timor (JP): United Nations Secretary-General Kofi
\nAnnan elected to continue voter registration for the direct
\nballot in East Timor after seeing the overwhelming turnout among
\nresidents.<\/p>\n
In a letter to UN Security Council president Hasmy Agam on
\nMonday, Annan said in the first 10 days of the 20-day voter
\nregistration period, 239,893 of the some 400,000 eligible voters
\nregistered at centers inside and outside the province.<\/p>\n
\"The people of East Timor are showing laudable determination
\nto participate in the popular consultation despite continuing
\nintimidation,\" Annan said.<\/p>\n
Specifically, Annan cited ongoing intimidation by armed
\nmilitia groups, which was particularly prevalent in the western
\ndistricts of the former Portuguese territory.<\/p>\n
Annan was undecided about the fixed date for the ballot,
\nsaying it would depend on how well the Indonesian government
\nworked with the UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) to improve
\nsecurity conditions and address the problem of displaced people.<\/p>\n
\"The completion of registration and the continuation of the
\npopular consultation process will depend on my being satisfied
\nthat these improvements are achieved and sustained,\" Annan said.<\/p>\n
The historic vote in which East Timorese will decide whether
\nto stay with Indonesia with wide-ranging autonomy or become
\nindependent is slated for the third week of August. The ballot
\nwas delayed by two weeks due to security concerns.<\/p>\n
Indonesia welcomed Annan's decision and pledged to maintain
\nits commitment to ensuring a peaceful environment ahead of and
\nduring the UN-sanctioned ballot, government task force spokesman
\nDino Pati Djalal said.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a media conference here on Tuesday, Dino said
\nIndonesia intended to see the direct ballot take place in August
\nto allow President B.J. Habibie's administration to report the
\nresults of the vote during the General Session of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly.<\/p>\n
\"We don't mind some delay, but we don't want it to be too long
\nsimply for the reason of the domestic political situation,\" Dino
\nsaid. \"The situation will become complicated if the current
\ngovernment cannot deliver a report of the poll results.\"<\/p>\n
Separately in Jakarta, Minister of Defense and
\nSecurity\/Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Wiranto urged
\nthe East Timorese to vote for wide-ranging autonomy under
\nIndonesia's sovereignty.<\/p>\n
Wiranto said the government would do its best to ensure a
\nfair, just, safe and transparent direct ballot.<\/p>\n
\"We hope the wish of the Indonesian people that East Timor
\nwill remain a legitimate part of Indonesia can be fulfilled,\" the
\ngeneral said after attending a meeting of the Council for the
\nEnforcement of Security and Law at Bina Graha presidential
\noffice.<\/p>\n
Wiranto said the TNI and police were doing their best to help
\nUNAMET organize the ballot. \"On how to maintain East Timor (as a
\nlegal part of Indonesia), we fully entrust it to the East
\nTimorese themselves.\"<\/p>\n
\"Our priority is a successful, transparent and fair direct
\nballot,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In Bandung, West Java, TNI Chief of Territorial Affairs Lt.
\nGen. Soesilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged UNAMET to remain impartial
\nin the direct ballot. He said the presence of an intelligence
\nofficer in the body would tarnish the image of the mission.<\/p>\n
Refugees<\/p>\n
Dino said a joint team involving the government task force,
\nUNAMET, the UN Children's Fund, the UN High Commission for
\nRefugees, the International Commission of the Red Cross, the
\nMinistry of Social Services and the local government was
\ncarrying out a humanitarian mission to help displaced people in
\nthe province. The team is focusing its work in Atambua, East Nusa
\nTenggara, on the border of East Timor, where some 3,600 people
\nhave been taking shelter after fleeing violence in East Timor.<\/p>\n
Dino said the team planned to transport the displaced people
\nacross the border into East Timor so they could register for the
\ndirect ballot.<\/p>\n
\"We expect UNAMET to set up one or two registration centers
\nthere because it will be difficult for us to transport them home,
\nnot to mention the short time left (before the ballot),\" he said.<\/p>\n
Noted Muslim leader Abdurrahman Wahid ended his two-day visit
\nto the province on Tuesday with a call for proindependence and
\nprointegration parties to be prepared to accept defeat in the
\nballot.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, said upon his departure
\nat Comoro Airport that refusing to accept the results of the
\nAugust ballot, no matter what they were, would prolong the
\nproblems in the territory.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman denied he was representing the government during
\nhis visit, in which he met with Dili Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo,
\nlocal government officials, UNAMET head Ian Martin and leaders of
\nboth prointegration and proindependence groups.<\/p>\n
Separately, Martin said a number of UNAMET officials met with
\nleaders of the proindependence group Falintil on Monday to
\ndiscuss disarmament.<\/p>\n
Martin said Falintil deputy commander Taur Matan Ruak agreed
\nto the disarmament and invited UNAMET to a ceremony marking the
\ndisarmament of the group ahead of the popular consultation.
\n(33\/43\/amd\/edt\/prb)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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