More poll officials stream into East Timor

More poll officials stream into East Timor

DILI, East Timor (JP): A group of 60 international poll
officials arrived on Friday, bringing their number to 306 for the
August vote.

Another 76 will arrive on Saturday, with the rest to arrive in
batches until the sending of international assignees from 24
countries is completed early next week, United Nations Mission in
East Timor (UNAMET) spokesman Yasuhiro Ueki told a media
conference here.

They will register eligible voters for the UN sanctioned self-
determination ballot, which is slated for the third week of
August, two weeks later than originally scheduled.

"It is expected that all the poll officials will be here next
week, so that voter registration and the balloting will take
place in accordance with the agreement signed in New York last
May," Ueki said.

He said the officials could start working as soon as they
received registration kits, which arrived on Wednesday from
Darwin, Australia, and were dispatched to 200 polling sites
across the province.

UNAMET first spokesman David Wimhurst, making his first
appearance after several days of duties in Darwin, also was
present at the conference.

Soon after arrival, 20 of the UN registrants were flown to
Maliana, 12 to Ermera, 12 to Suai and eight to Oecusse. The
remaining eight are posted in the provincial capital Dili. The
other registration centers have been set for Baucau, Lospalos and
Viqueque.

The three weeks of voter registration will commence on
Tuesday, according to the UNAMET schedule.

Over 400,000 East Timorese are expected to cast ballots to
choose whether to remain part of Indonesia or become independent.

Wimhurst said registration for East Timorese refugees in
Atambua in East Nusa Tenggara, which shares a border with East
Timor, were undecided.

"Arrangements for the refugees are still in process, but we
want them to take part in the direct ballot," he said. "It would
be better for them to return home for the vote, but I know this
in not practical."

Over 4,500 East Timorese took refuge in Atambua to evade
terrorization and intimidation from groups either in favor or
against the autonomy offered by the government in January.

Wimhurst denied on Friday rumors that he was dismissed as
UNAMET spokesman. He said he visited Darwin to discuss with local
poll committees voting for East Timorese who reside in Australia.

Security

UNAMET chief Ian Martin and private assistant to the UN
secretary-general Franscesc Vendrell visited Ermera, Covalima and
Manufahi to inspect the availability of logistical equipment and
security in the towns. They will report their findings to UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Ueki said Vendrell had delayed his return to Jakarta to Monday
because he would accompany six Cabinet ministers, including
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas, scheduled to visit here
on that day.

The U.S.-based poll watchdog Carter Center, which will again
send observers to Indonesia after its stint here during the June
general election, also expressed concern about security
conditions.

From its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, the Carter Center
announced on Wednesday the sending of eight observers who will
conduct fact-finding about necessary preconditions for a free and
fair ballot.

"Our concern at this point is not as much about the voting
itself as it is about the political climate prior to balloting,"
the center said.

"True democracy requires that people be allowed to cast their
votes freely and without intimidation or coercion."

The center has opened an office here to base its eight long-
term observers, who will be joined by additional observers to
monitor events at the time of balloting.

In its message to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday,
the European Union voiced the same concern over the security
situation in East Timor. The EU troika, consisting of the
ambassadors of Finland, France and a representative of the EU,
recalled the New York agreement, in which Indonesia is
responsible for maintaining security, law and order in the former
Portuguese colony before the vote.

Opposition against UNAMET continued on Friday with about 30
youths grouped in the Struggle for People's Sovereignty and
National Unity (Perkasa) rallying in front of the UN
representative office in Jakarta to demand the mission be
disbanded.(33/amd)