UN expected to extend E. Timor mandate
UN expected to extend E. Timor mandate
CANBERRA (AP): The United Nations was expected to again extend the mandate of its administration in East Timor to well after independence officials said on Friday, after major aid donors endorsed the proposal.
The mandate of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) ends Jan. 31, next year.
However, UNTAET head Sergio Vieira de Mello said on Friday that the fledgling nation was still far from ready for independence without UN support.
Speaking after the fourth Donor's Meeting on East Timor, De Mello said the 29 governments, and 18 aid agencies attending the conference supported a continuing presence.
East Timor's defense and police forces were not ready to stand on their own and a range of civil services such as health were still far from ready.
"I think we are all confident the mandate will be extended," de Mello said.
"There will be a presence, the question is what will be its configuration and size, its strength, civilian, police, military, that is what is at stake now," he said.
"Both in military and police terms the United Nations must remain engaged, there is unfinished business, therefore I presume, but I can only presume, the U.N. Security Council will have no difficulty in authorizing the continued presence of those two components," he said.
De Mello said it was impossible to outline a timetable for winding down his administration.
However, preparations for democratic elections were on track to elect a Constituent Assembly on Aug. 30. The Assembly will write and adopt a constitution for an independent East Timor, expected by the end of the year.
UNTAET commands around 8,000 peacekeepers, 150 military observers, 1,450 UN civilian police and 777 East Timorese officers.
Its civilian work force comprises 1,000 international staff, 2,000 nationals and 800 UN volunteers.
De Mello and World Bank Vice president for East Asia and the Pacific, Jemal-ud-din Kassum who co-chaired the conference said donors had endorsed the $65 million budget to run the new government in fiscal year 2001-02, despite a $20 million deficit.
Total aid spending from the donors in 2001-02 would be about $304 million - most of it to be spent rebuilding the state, which was devastated by violence that broke out after the province's August 1999 vote for independence from Indonesia.
Militias backed by Indonesian police and military forces were responsible for the violence.