{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1316959,
        "msgid": "timorese-mixed-on-countrys-future-1447899208",
        "date": "2003-11-15 00:00:00",
        "title": "Timorese mixed on country's future ",
        "author": null,
        "source": "AP",
        "tags": null,
        "topic": null,
        "summary": "Timorese mixed on country's future Associated Press, Jakarta Post-independence confidence in East Timor has declined, with nearly 40 percent of East Timorese saying they feel worse off now than under Indonesian rule and less than half optimistic about the future, according to a survey.",
        "content": "<p>Timorese mixed on country's future<\/p>\n<p>Associated Press, Jakarta<\/p>\n<p>Post-independence confidence in East Timor has declined, with <br>\nnearly 40 percent of East Timorese saying they feel worse off now <br>\nthan under Indonesian rule and less than half optimistic about <br>\nthe future, according to a survey.<\/p>\n<p>However, most of the 1,561 surveyed by the nonpartisan <br>\nInternational Republican Institute voiced confidence in their <br>\ngovernment, with 90 percent describing the presidency as good or <br>\nexcellent, and positive appraisals of 75 percent for the courts, <br>\n67 percent for Parliament and 53 percent for the prime minister's <br>\noffice.<\/p>\n<p>The poll comes as East Timor is wrestling with a stagnant <br>\neconomy and doubts over the government's ability to run the <br>\ncountry after the United Nations departs next year. The survey is <br>\nbased on a representative national sample with an error margin of <br>\n2.6 percent.<\/p>\n<p>\"Things aren't perfect here,\" Deborah White, the institute's <br>\ncountry director, told The Associated Press on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>\"People have said there are problems with this and that,\" she <br>\nsaid. \"But when they rated institutions, people overwhelming <br>\nrated them good or excellent. It says to me that there is still <br>\nconfidence in these institutions. People are willing to give the <br>\ngovernment a chance to solve these problems.\"<\/p>\n<p>According to the U.S.-funded annual survey, 42 percent of <br>\nrespondents felt East Timor was better off since the country <br>\nbecame independent in 2001, while 38.9 percent felt it was worse <br>\noff. Another 17.2 percent felt the country had not changed.<\/p>\n<p>More significantly, the percentage of Timorese who voiced <br>\noptimism about the country's future dropped from 75 percent last <br>\nyear to 48 percent this year. However, only 30 percent felt the <br>\ncountry was headed in the wrong direction.<\/p>\n<p>Respondents said their concerns about the future were fueled <br>\nby unresolved problems, with 65 percent saying corruption had <br>\nworsened since independence and 43 percent saying the economy had <br>\ndeteriorated.<\/p>\n<p>However, Timorese said that freedom, security and the <br>\neducational system had improved since independence.<\/p>\n<p>Indonesia's brutal 24-year occupation ended in 1999.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/timorese-mixed-on-countrys-future-1447899208",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}