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)