Campaign kicks off for crucial East Timor vote
DILI, East Timor (JP): A two-week campaign for a United Nations-organized vote to determine East Timor's future opened on Saturday, with prointegration leaders warning that the territory could turn into a war zone if people voted for independence.
In contrast, proindependence groups announced that they would only hold a door-to-door campaign for security reasons, and because they were confident about their chances in the Aug. 30 ballot.
"Most East Timorese have wanted a separate state since 1975. We don't really need to hold rallies," East Timor National Resistance Council for an Independent East Timor (CNRT) spokesman David Ximenes said.
Thousands of people turned up at a dusty sports field near Cormoro Airport for the prointegration rally. Red-and-white Indonesian flags were hoisted at the site.
A dozen of unarmed members of the Aitarak pro-Indonesia militia were assisted by 10 Indonesian police officers to provide security for the venue.
"Believe it or not, we will have to face a war if there is any attempt to bring down Indonesian flags in East Timor," warned campaigner Basilio Araujo, spokesman for Forum for Unity, Democracy and Justice (FPDK).
Another campaigner, Mateus Maia, said East Timorese should not be lured by empty promises from industrialized countries.
Autonomy was the only choice for their future, because independence would only mean chaos for the tiny province, he said.
"For 23 years, many countries promised to help us, but they have not given us anything until today," Mateus said.
Francisco de Carvalho, an executive from East Timor People's Front (BRTT), conceded that proindependence groups were quite strong, but he dismissed their claim that prointegration groups would only be able to win 10 percent of the vote at the most.
United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) chief electoral officer Jeff Fischer briefed the crowd and praised East Timorese people for their perseverance, patience and tenacity during the registration period.
He called on all East Timorese to help maintain peace and order during the campaign period.
An official ceremony to launch the campaign was held in the afternoon at the UNAMET office in Dili. The ceremony was attended by UNAMET chief Ian Martin, UN special envoy Jamsheed Marker and Portuguese diplomats Fernando Neves and Ana Gomes.
Prointegration factions were represented by FPDK chairman Domingos Maria das Dores Soares and BRTT secretary-general Januario Ximenes Soares. Proindependence camps were represented by Falintil coordinator Leandro Isaac and David Dias Ximenes.
Marker also read a message from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
The campaign will end on Aug. 27 and will be followed by a two-day cooling off period.
Nearly 450,000 eligible voters -- in East Timor, elsewhere in Indonesia, and abroad -- have registered for the Aug. 30 "popular consultation" to vote on whether or not to reject Jakarta's offer for East Timor to remain part of Indonesia with wide-ranging autonomy.
A "no" vote, which is what the proindependence camp is calling for, will set off the procedure for Jakarta to formally separate from the territory, which it integrated into Indonesia in 1976.
East Timor Governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares, in a media briefing at his office, said that even if the majority of the people voted for independence they would not directly enjoy their freedom. "There will still be the process of decolonization," the governor said, as quoted by Antara.
It was also possible that the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) would reject the result of the direct ballot, he warned.
The MPR is to convene in November essentially to elect Indonesia's next president. But if the East Timorese vote against autonomy, the MPR is expected to include the East Timor on its agenda. (33/prb)