Postponement E. Timor ballot
Postponement E. Timor ballot
From Media Indonesia
According to a morning news report from one private television station on July 29, Indonesia is now considering the offer of United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan that the direct ballot on the future status of East Timor, scheduled to be held on Aug. 21 or Aug. 22, should be postponed to Aug. 30. The reason for this postponement is that the registration for participation in this direct ballot began a few days after the original schedule, necessitating the extension of the registration period to a new deadline, which is yet to be determined.
The proposal to postpone the direct ballot has tickled our curiosity and left us wondering what is really going on in East Timor. Have the East Timorese themselves hampered the implementation process of the direct ballot by creating turmoil and insecurity, or is it because the UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) officials themselves are not really ready for this project? In this context the explanation made by Nahdlatul Ulama chairman Abdurrahman Wahid (better known as Gus Dur), who has just been to East Timor, is worth contemplating. According to him, the situation in East Timor is secure, with the exception of one or two incidents that may be considered quite normal.
Some people have lodged their objection to the obligation to show a baptism certificate in addition to the residence identification card when registering for participation in the upcoming direct ballot. This objection should be studied by those in charge of the registration process and if necessary an alternative should be sought to ensure that the East Timorese who are actually eligible to take part in the upcoming direct ballot will not miss their opportunity simply because of their inability to fulfill the additional requirement (the baptism certificate).
In fact, Indonesia's good intention to sign a tripartite agreement (with the United Nations and Portugal) to settle once and for all the East Timor question should be supported by all parties concerned. If all conflicting parties realize the significance of this direct ballot, they will certainly restrain themselves and help maintain the security in this region so that the implementation of the direct ballot will no longer be postponed. It must be borne in mind that security matters are the responsibility of both security apparatuses and the East Timorese people as a whole.
The upcoming direct ballot is important because it will determine the future status of East Timor. Therefore the implementation of the direct ballot must be supported by all parties, particularly those still embroiled in conflicts. They must remember that the fate of East Timor depends on their own choices. Most important of all is that all parties can accept the outcome of the direct ballot, whichever it may be: remaining within the Republic of Indonesia with wide-ranging autonomy or becoming an independent state.
SYNTHIA W.
Jakarta