Half of East Timor's eligible voters register for poll

Half of East Timor's eligible voters register for poll

DILI, East Timor (JP): United Nations Secretary-General Kofi
Annan elected to continue voter registration for the direct
ballot in East Timor after seeing the overwhelming turnout among
residents.

In a letter to UN Security Council president Hasmy Agam on
Monday, Annan said in the first 10 days of the 20-day voter
registration period, 239,893 of the some 400,000 eligible voters
registered at centers inside and outside the province.

"The people of East Timor are showing laudable determination
to participate in the popular consultation despite continuing
intimidation," Annan said.

Specifically, Annan cited ongoing intimidation by armed
militia groups, which was particularly prevalent in the western
districts of the former Portuguese territory.

Annan was undecided about the fixed date for the ballot,
saying it would depend on how well the Indonesian government
worked with the UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) to improve
security conditions and address the problem of displaced people.

"The completion of registration and the continuation of the
popular consultation process will depend on my being satisfied
that these improvements are achieved and sustained," Annan said.

The historic vote in which East Timorese will decide whether
to stay with Indonesia with wide-ranging autonomy or become
independent is slated for the third week of August. The ballot
was delayed by two weeks due to security concerns.

Indonesia welcomed Annan's decision and pledged to maintain
its commitment to ensuring a peaceful environment ahead of and
during the UN-sanctioned ballot, government task force spokesman
Dino Pati Djalal said.

Speaking at a media conference here on Tuesday, Dino said
Indonesia intended to see the direct ballot take place in August
to allow President B.J. Habibie's administration to report the
results of the vote during the General Session of the People's
Consultative Assembly.

"We don't mind some delay, but we don't want it to be too long
simply for the reason of the domestic political situation," Dino
said. "The situation will become complicated if the current
government cannot deliver a report of the poll results."

Separately in Jakarta, Minister of Defense and
Security/Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Wiranto urged
the East Timorese to vote for wide-ranging autonomy under
Indonesia's sovereignty.

Wiranto said the government would do its best to ensure a
fair, just, safe and transparent direct ballot.

"We hope the wish of the Indonesian people that East Timor
will remain a legitimate part of Indonesia can be fulfilled," the
general said after attending a meeting of the Council for the
Enforcement of Security and Law at Bina Graha presidential
office.

Wiranto said the TNI and police were doing their best to help
UNAMET organize the ballot. "On how to maintain East Timor (as a
legal part of Indonesia), we fully entrust it to the East
Timorese themselves."

"Our priority is a successful, transparent and fair direct
ballot," he said.

In Bandung, West Java, TNI Chief of Territorial Affairs Lt.
Gen. Soesilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged UNAMET to remain impartial
in the direct ballot. He said the presence of an intelligence
officer in the body would tarnish the image of the mission.

Refugees

Dino said a joint team involving the government task force,
UNAMET, the UN Children's Fund, the UN High Commission for
Refugees, the International Commission of the Red Cross, the
Ministry of Social Services and the local government was
carrying out a humanitarian mission to help displaced people in
the province. The team is focusing its work in Atambua, East Nusa
Tenggara, on the border of East Timor, where some 3,600 people
have been taking shelter after fleeing violence in East Timor.

Dino said the team planned to transport the displaced people
across the border into East Timor so they could register for the
direct ballot.

"We expect UNAMET to set up one or two registration centers
there because it will be difficult for us to transport them home,
not to mention the short time left (before the ballot)," he said.

Noted Muslim leader Abdurrahman Wahid ended his two-day visit
to the province on Tuesday with a call for proindependence and
prointegration parties to be prepared to accept defeat in the
ballot.

Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, said upon his departure
at Comoro Airport that refusing to accept the results of the
August ballot, no matter what they were, would prolong the
problems in the territory.

Abdurrahman denied he was representing the government during
his visit, in which he met with Dili Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo,
local government officials, UNAMET head Ian Martin and leaders of
both prointegration and proindependence groups.

Separately, Martin said a number of UNAMET officials met with
leaders of the proindependence group Falintil on Monday to
discuss disarmament.

Martin said Falintil deputy commander Taur Matan Ruak agreed
to the disarmament and invited UNAMET to a ceremony marking the
disarmament of the group ahead of the popular consultation.
(33/43/amd/edt/prb)