UN tells E. Timorese their vote is secret

UN tells E. Timorese their vote is secret

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters): Secretary-General Kofi Annan assured
the people of East Timor on Wednesday that their vote on Aug. 8
to decide the future of the territory would be secret and that
the United Nations, which is organizing the balloting, was
entirely impartial.

"First of all, the United Nations will conduct the
consultation process in a completely impartial manner," Annan
said in a video message to the population of the former
Portuguese colony integrated into Indonesia in 1976.

"The United Nations is not in favor of, or against, any
result. Our task is to make it possible for you -- the people of
East Timor -- to make your own choice," he said.

The balloting, being held under a May 5 agreement between
Indonesia and Portugal, is to decide whether East Timor should
have wide-ranging autonomy under continued Indonesian rule or, if
that is rejected, begin moving towards independence.

"No one will know, or ever find out, what choice you make,"
Annan said. "When the votes are counted, no one will know how any
particular village or district has voted."

Over the next few weeks, personnel of the UN Mission in East
Timor (UNAMET), set up by the Security Council to organize the
voting, would help the East Timorese to understand the
consultation process, as the balloting is referred to.

Annan said some 900 international personnel from UNAMET would
be sent to all parts of the territory, including electoral and
information staff, civilian police who would advise the
Indonesian police and military liaison officers who would
maintain contact with their Indonesian counterparts.

"The popular consultation is not about winning or losing a
competition," he declared.

"It is your chance to settle the question of East Timor
peacefully. It is your opportunity to launch a new era of
reconciliation. Peace is a prize that all East Timorese can
share," Annan said.

His personal representative for East Timor, Jamsheed Marker of
Pakistan, briefed the Security Council on Wednesday before
leaving for the territory on Thursday.

Later, council president Baboucarr-Blaise Jagne of Gambia said
in a statement that members were "pleased to hear of the good
cooperation so far by all the parties, and appreciate the
measures taken by Indonesia to ensure a stable security situation
for the ballot."

Security has been a prime concern since scores of people were
killed earlier this year, mainly by anti-independence militias,
after Indonesian President B.J. Habibie announced his
government's willingness to reverse the integration of the
territory if the East Timorese rejected autonomy.

Jagne added that members "noted with concern ambassador
Marker's assessment that much work remains to be done to allow a
credible and fair consultation."

The United Nations also announced on Wednesday that a senior
Australian police official, Alan James Mills, has been appointed
civilian police commissioner of UNAMET.

Mills, 57, who is already in the East Timor capital, Dili, has
served with the Australian police since 1962. He was recently
assistant commissioner and special advisory member to the
Australian federal police commissioner.

He served with the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus between
1989 and 1991.

The first contingent of 39 UN police, including 15 members of
the Australian Federal Police, are due to arrive in Dili on
Saturday from the northern Australian city of Darwin, where the
United Nations has established a staging post and supply center.

In Jakarta, the South Korean embassy said on Thursday that its
government would send five civilian police officers to join
UNAMET and has donated US$200,000 to the UN assistance for East
Timor.

Meanwhile Habibie's spokeswoman Dewi Fortuna Anwar denied an
Australian newspaper report on Thursday that the UN plans to
postpone the self-determination ballot to Aug. 29 from its
original schedule on Aug. 8.

"I think it is only speculation, so far we have not heard
anything about the delay," Dewi said.

The Sydney Morning Herald, quoting UN sources, said in a front
page story that the autonomy vote is now likely to take place on
Aug. 29, instead of Aug. 8.

The source cited continuing deterioration in security and a
"lack of integrity" by East Timorese local government officials.

"UN envoy Jamsheed Marker will meet with the President on
Monday who will brief him on the latest development for the
direct vote process," Dewi told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

UNAMET spokesman in Dili, David Wimhurst, also denied the
report, telling AFP that a decision on the matter would be made
"in five or six days" by the secretary general.

Jose Ramos Horta, a 1996 Nobel Peace co-laureate, said
Thursday he still wanted to go to East Timor but was prepared to
cancel his trip to campaign in his homeland.

"If my going to East Timor is the biggest embarrassment for
whatever reason, I am prepared to stay in Australia ... as long
as at least Xanana Gusmao is released and allowed to go to East
Timo," Horta said.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas reiterated his
opposition to Horta's visit to East Timor if his only purpose was
to campaign before the direct ballot in the province.

Alatas expressed concern on Wednesday that pre-ballot
campaigning in East Timor by Horta and other people, who have
lived abroad for a long time, would create a conflict in the
province.(prb)