Hostile groups in East Timor to sign code of conduct<\/p>\n
DILI, East Timor (JP): Proindependence and prointegration
\ngroups here are set to sign a campaign code of conduct for the
\nAug. 30 popular consultation.<\/p>\n
No date for the signing has been set, but United Nations
\nMission in East Timor (UNAMET) spokesman David Wimhurst said on
\nTuesday the groups would sign the code of conduct later this
\nweek.<\/p>\n
Wimhurst said UNAMET hoped the two camps would endorse the
\ncode of conduct as soon as possible, so it could be distributed
\namong the public before campaigning begins on Aug. 11.<\/p>\n
He said UNAMET delivered a draft of the campaign rules to
\nproindependence and prointegration groups and was now awaiting
\ntheir approval.<\/p>\n
The campaign rules will allow both camps to campaign on the
\nplatform of bringing the troubled territory a better future,
\nWimhurst said.<\/p>\n
Wimhurst would not elaborate on the contents of the code,
\nexcept to state that it contained a stipulation that leaders of
\neach faction would conduct the campaign.<\/p>\n
He also reiterated the United Nations' request that
\nproindependence leader Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao, who is
\nserving his jail sentence in a special detention house in
\nJakarta, be released.<\/p>\n
"But the decision whether to let him campaign and cast his
\nvote in East Timor is up to the Indonesian government," Wimhurst
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has dismissed the possibility of Xanana's immediate
\nrelease, saying he will be discharged only after the popular
\nconsultation.<\/p>\n
Wimhurst also said UNAMET acknowledged the presence of foreign
\nand domestic poll observers, as well as official observers
\ndispatched by both the Indonesian and Portuguese governments.<\/p>\n
International observers in the former Portuguese colony are
\nrepresented by the United States-based Carter Center, which also
\nmonitored the country's June 7 general election.<\/p>\n
More than 393,000 East Timorese inside and outside the
\nprovince had registered for the direct ballot as of Tuesday.
\nVoter registration will last for two more days.<\/p>\n
Voter registration centers in foreign countries, including
\nAustralia, Portugal and Macau, have registered some 10,000 East
\nTimorese who fled the province after it was integrated into
\nIndonesia in 1975.<\/p>\n
Antara reported that a registration center on Jl. Kebon Sirih
\nin Central Jakarta had seen a rush of eligible voters coming to
\nregister over the past three days. A UNAMET staff member, Jorge
\nSoares, said most of the people came from outside Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Some 170 East Timorese residing in East Kalimantan could lose
\ntheir voting rights because no registration centers are located
\nin the province. UNAMET opened registration centers in Jakarta,
\nSurabaya, Denpasar, Yogyakarta and Ujungpandang in South
\nSulawesi.<\/p>\n
The registration center in Ujungpandang has so far registered
\n117 voters from Sulawesi, Kalimantan and Irian Jaya. An official
\nobserver, Dharmaginta Thanos, said he was pessimistic this figure
\nwould substantially increase due to the distance between the
\nregistration center and prospective voters.<\/p>\n
Antara also reported some 600 members of the armed
\nproindependence group Falintil had turned up to register in the
\nEast Timor village of Odomao in Bobonaro regency.<\/p>\n
The guerrillas registered with poll officials in two batches
\non Sunday and Monday.<\/p>\n
Julio Ferdial, alias Lian Atuiba Oin Najain, commander of the
\nZegre Dometing group, a faction of Falintil, told the news agency
\nonly Falintil's reserve members registered for the popular
\nconsultation. Most of the guerrillas are still hiding in the
\nforests, he said.<\/p>\n
Ferdial said his troops agreed to register after UNAMET
\nprovided them security guarantees. (27\/33\/amd)<\/p>",
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