Bishop Belo registers for East Timor direct ballot

Bishop Belo registers for East Timor direct ballot

DILI, East Timor (JP): Influential Catholic leader Carlos
Felipe Ximenes Belo signed up on Saturday for the August self-
determination vote and encouraged the rest of East Timorese to
follow suit in the remaining four days of the registration
period.

Belo, the Dili Bishop and a colaureate of the 1996 Nobel Peace
Prize, registered with poll officials at a state elementary
school compound in East Dili.

"I call on all East Timorese to register themselves for the
direct ballot because it will determine their future. The
international community hopes to see us settle our problems,"
Belo said of the planned ballot on Aug. 30.

Doubt on the necessary security measures ahead of the ballot
initially planned for Aug. 8 was a main factor which led the
United Nations, who are sponsoring the ballot, to postpone the
vote.

Belo did not vote in the June 7 general election, which saw an
overwhelming turnout with the ruling Golkar Party topping the
vote count in the province.

But this time he has lashed out at people who opt to boycott
the upcoming poll, which will determine whether the former
Portuguese colony remains a part of Indonesia with greater
autonomy or becomes independence.

"Never think of a poll boycott because it is an undemocratic
act. If we snub the direct ballot, we are the losers. On the
contrary, those who take part will win the vote," he said.

Belo gave an excuse for not participating in the general
election, saying that he was doubtful that legislative candidates
listed by the General Elections Commission represented their
constituencies in the province.

"I did not know who I should vote for, nor their programs.
They always looked as if they were good boys in front of me, but
they spoke of different things behind me," he said.

Belo urged the UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET), as well as
the East Timorese, to work together to fight intimidation and
terror within the time remaining. He did not elaborate.

"Only if we can stop the violations, can we exercise our right
to vote in a free, fair, honest and democratic manner," he said.

Later in the day, Belo met with the Japan Arch Bishop who
visited the troubled province on a solidarity mission.

Chief of UN registration office, Carina Berelli, was quoted by
Antara on Saturday as saying, "If someone doesn't register for
the coming ballot, it means he is letting go of a golden
opportunity."

UNAMET will not open additional registration posts but it will
add personnel to allow more East Timorese to register, Berelli
said.

UNAMET head in East Timor, Ian Martin, said on Friday that up
to the 15th day of registration, about 300,000 East Timorese had
registered.

Meanwhile, registration at UNAMET's Lisbon office had reached
1,383 by Friday.

"There are several East Timorese who live in other European
countries who could not come to Lisbon to register because of
financial reasons," Djafar Hussein, chief of Indonesian observer
team for UNAMET's Portugal office said.

In Dili a man was killed on Sunday, identified as Angelino
Amaral, 24. He was said to have been shot by two gunmen, members
of prointegration militia groups.

Crowds reacted by burning down the house of a militia member.

Angelino was shot before dawn on the street near his home in
the Taibesi neighborhood after his motorcycle collided with
another, carrying the two men, witnesses said.

Angelino, a bank employee, died of three gunshot wounds.
Before he was brought to the San Antonio clinic of the Motael
church his family said the victim told his brother-in-law
the names of his killers.

On learning of the identity of one of the killers, crowds
approached his house and stripped off doors and windows of the
semi-permanent building before they set it on fire.

Dili police chief Lt.Col. Hulman Gultom said he could not
confirm the identity of the gunmen. (amd/33/05)