East Timorese ignore vote boycott call

East Timorese ignore vote boycott call

JAKARTA (JP): Morning drizzle and the absence of prominent
Catholic leader Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo did not stop
people in Dili, East Timor, from going to the polls on Monday.

Antara reported that East Timorese queued at polling places in
Motael, Pantai Kelapa and Pantai Farol, Taman Balai Prajurit
auditorium, Mascarenhas, Matadouro and the University of East
Timor campus to cast their votes.

But in Baucau, some 130 kilometers east of Dili, heavy rain
delayed the balloting in 94 polling places across the town for a
few hours.

A local election committee member, Domingus de Haan, said
balloting was impossible because the rain swamped the modest
polling booths, which were covered only by coconut leaves.

De Haan said he knew of no reports of disruption except a move
by a group of youths who tried to attack two polling places in
Caisidu II and Bahu villages.

Chairman of the provincial election committee Gaspar Sarmento
said people's enthusiasm to participate in this year's elections
was evident, despite leaflets circulated by some groups to
discourage them.

The provincial capital was quiet, with only a few cars and
motorcycles seen passing major streets in the town. Many traders
in main markets Old Mercado, Comoro and Becora took a day off for
the elections.

Belo did not show up at the polling station near his
residence, to the disappointment of people who flocked there to
meet him. But Belo told dozens of people to exercise their right
to vote.

Spokesman for East Timor Police Capt. Widodo DS confirmed that
leaflets suggesting that people not vote were found across the
capital.

Widodo said police arrested on Sunday a man, identified as AC,
while placing a leaflet exhorting East Timorese to boycott
Monday's elections.

The pamphlets, using the indigenous language of Tetun, were
found in Vila Verde subdistrict in West Dili. In a statement
signed by local leader David Ximenes, independence group CNRT
called for a boycott of the polls, saying they should focus on
the direct ballot on Aug. 8 to decide whether to remain part of
Indonesia with wider autonomy.

CNRT is led by Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao, who is serving
a prison sentence at a special house in Jakarta.

Governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares said the move to discourage
East Timorese to vote was not new.

"They (CNRT) used to do it in the past elections. They are
just an irresponsible group who want to cause prolonged trouble
in East Timor," Abilio said after casting his ballot at the
Pantai Kelapa polling station.

Preliminary results of the polls in Dili showed that the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle won in Santa Cruz,
Bairoformosa, Leiodere, Akadiruhun, Becora, West Lahane and
Bedois villages.

Reports of violations were announced by the deputy chairman of
the provincial election committee, Aderito Hugo da Costa, who
said people in three districts in Kovalima regency had been
intimidated to get them to vote for the ruling Golkar party.
(33/amd)