RI, Portugal agree on 'direct' ballot<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia and Portugal have agreed on a \"direct\"
\nballot for East Timorese to decide on their future, United
\nNations Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced in New York on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
The agreement was reached after two days of negotiations
\nbetween Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and his Portuguese
\ncounterpart Jaime Gama under the auspices of the secretary-
\ngeneral.<\/p>\n
\"The meeting has reached an agreement that a method of direct
\nballot will be used to ask the people of East Timor whether they
\naccept or reject the autonomy proposal,\" Annan said.<\/p>\n
\"Specific modalities of how the popular consultation will be
\ncarried out\", were not yet resolved, he said.<\/p>\n
Alatas said on Wednesday that Indonesia would reject a
\nreferendum as a means to settle East Timor problems, saying a
\nreferendum would trigger a civil war and be costly.<\/p>\n
\"The direct vote is as democratic as a referendum,\" Alatas
\nsaid on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Annan said it was intended the vote would take place during a
\nsingle day in East Timor, a key Portuguese demand for its former
\ncolony, though more time would probably be required to consult
\nEast Timorese living abroad.<\/p>\n
According to Alatas there are about 600,000 eligible voters in
\nEast Timor, which has a population of 800,000. Up to 30,000 East
\nTimorese reside in Australia, Canada, Macau, Portugal and the
\nUnited States,Antara reported from New York.<\/p>\n
United Nations (UN) special representative Jamsheed Marker,
\nwho chaired the proceedings, said the agreement was a \"very, very
\nlarge step forward\".<\/p>\n
Marker emphasized that difficulties remained, with many
\ndetails still to be finalized including the size of the UN
\npresence.<\/p>\n
Annan said senior officials from the two countries would meet
\non April 13 and 14 to prepare for further ministerial level talks
\nscheduled for April 22.<\/p>\n
An information campaign beginning in May would inform East
\nTimorese of the proposals, AFP reported.<\/p>\n
Alatas said on Wednesday Indonesia was ready to accept any
\nmethod -- except by referendum -- to fulfill East Timorese
\ndemands for independence or wide-ranging autonomy from Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"If they want autonomy, fine. If they want independence,
\nfine,\" Alatas told AFP on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Alatas reiterated Jakarta's opposition to a \"full-fledged
\nreferendum\", which he said was \"fraught with risks\", because it
\ncould set a precedent for other restive provinces.<\/p>\n
Gama described the agreement as a \"turning point\" in
\ndiscussions the two countries have been holding for years over
\nthe disputed territory.<\/p>\n
He emphasized the agreement to consult East Timorese both in
\nthe territory and abroad was in line with Portugal's democratic
\nconcerns.<\/p>\n
\"For us, the methodology for consulting the East Timorese will
\nbe the same as the methodology used in free and fair elections in
\ndemocratic countries.\"<\/p>\n
President B.J. Habibie dropped a bombshell in January with his
\noffer to grant independence to East Timor after 23 years of
\nintegration, if it rejected wide-ranging autonomy proposals
\nexpected to be finalized next month.<\/p>\n
Jailed East Timorese rebel leader Jose Alexandre \"Xanana\"
\nGusmao hailed Indonesia's agreement to hold a direct vote in East
\nTimor. \"The Republic of Indonesia, by accepting to carry out a
\nmethod of consultation ... took an important step.<\/p>\n
\"The people of East Timor know that they are not alone, and
\nthey have received numerous guarantees of moral, political and
\neconomic support for the period of transition towards
\nindependence.\"<\/p>\n
Exiled East Timor resistance leader Jose Ramos Horta was
\ndubious over the agreement, saying that Indonesia should prove
\nthat it was trustworthy.<\/p>\n
\"I judge them (Indonesians) on their actions on the ground and
\nnot their promises. Their actions speak much louder.\"<\/p>\n
Australian Defense Minister John Moore said on Friday
\nIndonesia's decision to allow East Timorese a \"direct vote\" on
\nautonomy should reduce the prospect of violence in the troubled
\nterritory. \"The move to a ballot in East Timor is a very good
\nstep,\" Moore told Reuters.<\/p>\n
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the New York
\naccord was a positive sign. Australia has already ordered a new
\nforce of 3,000 combat troops be sent to Darwin, the staging post
\nfor East Timor, 600 kilometers to the north of the city.<\/p>\n
\"I look forward in the weeks ahead to further progress,\"
\nDowner said. (prb)<\/p>",
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