Groups want East Timor voter registration extended further
Groups want East Timor voter registration extended further
JAKARTA (JP): An East Timorese and an international group have
called for a further extension of the province's ballot
registration period, which has already been stretched by the
United Nations.
In a statement received here on Thursday, a prointegration
group criticized the UN's extension of the voter registration
stage of the direct ballot, saying the shorter period given to
East Timorese in the province reinforced the impression that the
United Nations was not acting fairly.
The UN announced on Wednesday an extension of two days, until
Friday, for registration in East Timor and an extra four days,
until Sunday, outside the province.
The extension followed demands from the Indonesian government,
which said more time was needed because the UN had postponed the
direct ballot to Aug. 30, from the initial date of Aug. 8.
Security concerns had led to the postponement.
In an open letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan, the Forum for Unity, Democracy and Justice wrote: "In
terms of attention and priority, the Timorese residing inside
East Timor should be the ones who deserve more attention and
facilitation than the ones living overseas, who have released
their citizenship, negated their identity and have adopted new
nationalities."
The statement, signed by spokesman Basilio Dias Araujo,
demanded that the UN reverse the extension dates, and give two
days for registration centers outside East Timor and four days
for registration centers inside the province, "or make it even".
The Forum demanded that the UN "pay more serious attention to
registration centers inside East Timor" because it was residents
there who would "suffer the most" from the consequence of the
ballot.
The Forum has frequently charged the UN Mission in East Timor
(UNAMET) of being discriminative, and added on Thursday that the
UN should pay more attention "to UNAMET personnel who are
deliberately trying to use the documentation weapon to reduce, to
the minimum number possible, the prointegration supporters" who
are eligible to join the ballot.
Many East Timorese have been turned down for lack of necessary
documentation.
A private group monitoring the registration process, Kiper,
which includes Dili Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo and
renowned researchers, earlier reported that inadequate publicity
contributed to poor understanding regarding requirements for
registration. Kiper had also noted that the registration process
was not free from fear.
In a report made available to The Jakarta Post on Wednesday,
an overseas group involved with the East Timor issue noted that
while well over 300,000 East Timorese have registered, surpassing
observers' expectations, "tens of thousands of refugees have not
yet been able to register" because of "continuing intimidation
and terror created by the Indonesian military-backed militia
forces".
The statement was from the International Federation for East
Timor Observers Project, claiming members from 22 countries and a
representative at the UN.
It said, "Unless UNAMET makes significant exceptions to the
registration process deadline, a large portion of the East
Timorese population will have been effectively shut out of the
consultation process as a result of TNI (Indonesian Military) and
paramilitary violence."
From Dili it was reported that as of Wednesday afternoon
428,180 people had registered for the ballot, including at least
200 prisoners.
UNAMET spokesman David Wimhurst said that in the last days of
registration more than 600 people had descended from the
mountains to register.
"We think the busiest areas of registration are in the west,
namely in Ambeno and Maliana regencies," Wimhurst said.
UNAMET will publish all registered names so the public can
check whether their names are on the list.
Meanwhile, Antara reported that police in Dili had told
visiting delegates from the Dutch and Swedish embassies that the
situation in the run-up to the ballot was improving. (33/anr)