Man, is this a foreign land?

DILI: Globalization, computerization, ASEAN, dual function...

These favorite words of campaigners sound gibberish to most East Timorese, political observer Marcel Lombe said yesterday.

"Campaigners use academic words which the poorly-educated East Timorese cannot possibly understand," Marcel was quoted by Antara as saying.

Marcel said politicians were fighting to win the sympathy of East Timorese but their language showed they were ignorant of the locals' education.

"Most potential voters come from villages. They have no idea what the Jakarta politicians mean with words like globalization, computerization, ASEAN," he said. (pan)