No hint on next E. Timor governor

No hint on next E. Timor governor

DILI: The East Timor provincial council has consulted Minister
of Home Affairs Yogie S.M. on the province's next governor, but
many locals favor another term for governor Abilio Jose Osorio
Soares.

Council speaker Antonio Freitas Parada said over the weekend
that the screening of people nominated for the post would begin
after the general election.

The Indonesian National Youth Committee and a local community
activist said yesterday that Abilio deserved a chance to continue
his post.

The well-known activist, Florentino Sarmento, said Abilio
deserved to stay on to continue his development plan for East
Timor, which he had submitted to the government.

Abilio's term will end in September.

"The East Timor governor must be a man who can translate the
aspirations of local people and pass them on to the central
government. The youngest province needs a leader who is realistic
in overseeing its problems. Personally, I think that Abilio has
the capacity for that," Sarmento told The Jakarta Post.

"East Timor has both domestic and international problems,
therefore an international-level settlement must be sought," said
Sarmento, who chairs the Etadet non-governmental organization.

A member of the government-backed national youth committee
said the committee's East Timor branch had gained support for
Abilio's second term from the Commandant General of the Army's
Special Forces Maj. Gen. Prabowo Subianto and President
Soeharto's daughter, Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana.

Abilio, sworn in as governor on Sept. 18, 1992, sent a letter
of retirement to the Minister of Home Affairs on March 18.

Other likely candidates for the position include the Golkar
East Timor chapter chairman Armindo Soares Mariano, the Dili
regent Domingos Maria das Dores Soares, Indonesian ambassador at
large Francisco Xavier Lopes da Cruz and Tito Dos Santos
Baptista, who works for the UN headquarters in New York.
(33/sur)