Indonesia surprised by delay of East Timor ballot

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas expressed surprise on Wednesday after UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced his decision to delay the direct ballot on East Timor's future.

Annan decided on Tuesday to postpone for two weeks a crucial Aug. 8 vote on self-determination of the former Portuguese colony.

Alatas said he hoped the decision was made for fair and honest reasons.

The minister said he was surprised that Annan announced the postponement while his personal representative on East Timor, Jamsheed Marker, was still in the country to gather information about the latest developments in East Timor.

Alatas said he had not received any official announcement from Annan's office and said he thought the security situation in the province was suitable for holding the vote on self-determination.

"In Indonesia's view, concerning a delay with security conditions as a pretext, we regard it as unfair," the minister said after meeting with President B.J. Habibie and other ministers, including Minister of Industry and Trade Rahardi Ramelan, at Merdeka Palace.

Alatas said the delay was probably caused by logistics hurdles, saying the UN Security Council was late in its approval of the UN Mission in East Timor.

"If that is the reason, Indonesia hopes this problem is also honestly disclosed," the minister said.

In a six-page report to the Security Council, Annan did not give a precise date. But U.N. officials said late on Tuesday they expected the poll to take place either on Aug. 21 or Aug. 22.

Annan said prointegration militias, believed to be operating with the compliance of elements of the Indonesian Army, were intimidating voters in rural areas.

"Militia activities continue to have a constricting effect on political freedom, silencing proindependence activists and their supporters and forcing them into hiding, thus jeopardizing the necessary openness of the consultation (voting) process," he said in the report.

"I hope that the security situation will have improved sufficiently by then to enable me to make a positive determination of the security conditions so that the operational phases of the consultation can begin," he said, as quoted by Reuters.

Annan said delays in obtaining Indonesian visas and slow action by the Security Council had set back the deployment of the UN Mission in East Timor, known as UNAMET.

Jailed East Timorese proindependence leader Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao threw his weight behind Annan and reiterated his commitment "to continuing to work and cooperate with all parties involved in the self-determination process so as to guarantee to the people of East Timor the needed and yearned-for peace and tranquility".

Xanana made these comments on Wednesday in a statement sent from his special detention house in Central Jakarta.

Prointegration leader Joao da Silva Tavares criticized Annan's decision, saying there is no reason not to hold the direct ballot as scheduled on Aug. 8.

"There is no reason for the delay, because whether it will be held on schedule or postponed, security will remain stable here," Joao said.

In Dili on Wednesday, prointegration leaders Domingos Soares, chairman of the Forum for Unity, Democracy and Justice; Fransisco Lopes da Cruz, leader of the Front of the People of East Timor; and Joao declared the establishment of the United Front for East Timor Autonomy (UNIF) with the aim of ensuring security in the province.

"These three groups will give a positive contribution to the United Nations to create a conducive, stable and peaceful situation for the ballot," said Lopes da Cruz, who is also Indonesia's ambassador-at-large for East Timor affairs.

Another pro-Indonesia leader, Basilio Araujo, welcomed Annan's decision. "For us it is no problem. It will give us more time to prepare," said Basilio.

Separately, 30 UN volunteer Blue Berets arrived at Komoro airport in Dili, while a group of 20 volunteers arrived in Baucau on Wednesday. The officials are from several countries, including Iran, India, USA and Germany. They are some of the 400 UN volunteers who will arrive in the province.

"They must spread out as quickly as possible every day and keep in touch with the people" and the village chiefs, to explain the registration process, said Fritz Krebs, a UNAMET officer.

East Timor Police chief Col. Timbul Silaen welcomed 800 police officers arriving in the province. They are part of the planned 4,000-strong police force to be deployed during the ballot process.

Silaen told the police to act fairly and impartially to ensure stability and security in the province. However, he said the police would not hesitate to use any measures needed to enforce the law.

"Police will not tolerate any violations of the law," the colonel said. (prb/33)