President Xanana Gusmao

President Xanana Gusmao

East Timorese could not be more fortunate than having Xanana
Gusmao as their first president in their present march towards
full independence next month. The landslide victory in Sunday's
presidential election is not simply an acknowledgement for the
services and dedication the former guerrilla leader has given to
his people. It is also a strong endorsement for his leadership,
something that the East Timorese will be counting on as they
struggle to overcome backwardness, poverty and other challenges
facing a newborn nation.

The vote attested to Gusmao's popularity among the East
Timorese people. An overwhelming 86 percent of the 430,000
eligible voters cast their ballots in Sunday's election. The huge
turnout itself signified the enthusiasm of the East Timorese in
the democratic process. Gusmao won 83 percent of the valid votes,
while the only other contender, senior politician Francisco
Xavier do Amaral, took the remaining 17 percent.

Xanana Gusmao's illustrious career made him an ideal, if not
obvious, choice as the people's president. He fought a guerrilla
war against the Indonesian military occupation between 1975 and
1999. He did not flee East Timor like many other leaders, but
instead risked his life by fighting from the mountains and
jungles, until his capture by the Indonesian forces in 1992. He
spent the next seven years in jail and was only released ahead of
the UN-sponsored ballot for self-determination in 1999.

Gusmao's charisma and charm defied the long and difficult
years he spent as a guerrilla fighter. But as the de facto leader
of East Timor since 1999, while the territory has been
administered by the United Nations, he has shown the traits
required for a president, much more so than all the other
leaders. With the overwhelming endorsement from his people, he
can rally the nation. The unity of the East Timorese people will
be pivotal in the first years of their independence.

The right choice for the people of East Timor fortunately
appears to be the right one also for the region, certainly for
Indonesia. While making his nom de guerre -- a reminder of his
past -- as the name by which he is now officially referred to,
Xanana Gusmao has led the campaign to bury the hatchet with
Indonesia. You could not expect a more grandiose gesture from a
man who not only fought a bloody war against Indonesia, but was
also condemned to jail at one time.

Gusmao has a perfectly good reason why he wants to see East
Timor to be on friendly terms with Indonesia, in spite of the
recent horrible past. Indonesia remains East Timor's closest
neighbor. Culturally and ethnically, East Timor was not all that
different from the people on the western part of the island. Only
history divided the two people: The island was carved four
centuries ago at the behest of European rulers.

Bahasa Indonesia remains an important language and will
continue to be for some years even if the new government in East
Timor would wish differently. And economically, East Timor will
inevitably be linked with parts of Indonesia. A hostile attitude
towards Indonesia would certainly serve no purpose.

Indonesia should reciprocate Xanana Gusmao's positive
gestures. Like him, we should also put the ugly past behind us
and move forward to live as two neighboring independent nations.
It is heartening to hear that President Megawati Soekarnoputri
plans to attend the ceremony of the birth of East Timor in Dili
on the eve of May 20, overcoming objections from those who still
cannot accept the territory's separation from the republic.

In view of its 25-year occupation of East Timor, and of its
violent departure from the territory in 1999, Indonesia certainly
has a moral obligation to help East Timor get back on its feet.
Even with our own limitations, there are ways of helping a new
nation get through the difficult first few years.

There are also a number of pending matters that Indonesia must
attend to in its affairs with East Timor. One of these is the
prosecution of the people responsible for the orgy of violence
that erupted in the last weeks of Indonesia's occupation of East
Timor in 1999. The mayhem not only led to the death of many
innocent people, but it also left East Timor in complete
devastation. Indonesia owes it to the East Timorese people to see
to it that those responsible be punished for the heinous crimes.

On that note, we would like to congratulate Xanana Gusmao on
his election, and to the East Timorese people for their choice of
their president. We know that under Xanana Gusmao, our countries
can look forward to more fruitful and cooperative relations.