UNAMET extends voter registration

UNAMET extends voter registration

DILI, East Timor (JP): The United Nations announced on
Wednesday an extension to the registration period for a self-
determination vote on the future of the territory.

The head of the UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET), Ian Martin,
told a media conference voter registration had been extended by
two days, until Friday, for 200 registration posts inside East
Timor and by four days, to Sunday, outside the province, in order
to allow more people to sign up for the ballot.

The brief extension was recommended by UN Secretary-General
Kofi Annan, despite the fact that registration turnout had
exceeded the initial estimate of 400,000.

Martin said that 410,556 East Timorese inside and outside the
former Portuguese colony had signed up for the ballot as of
Monday. The figure is expected to reach 420,000 when the
registration period is concluded, he said.

UNAMET will apply flexible registration schedules for the East
Timor regencies bordering East Nusa Tenggara, particularly
Bobonaro and Ambeno.

"If, until Friday Aug. 6, the registration is not completed,
UNAMET will extend the registration period until Saturday Aug. 7,
1999, morning," Martin said.

He said the extra days for registration would not change the
date of the vote, which has been set for Aug. 30.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and State
Secretary/Minister of Justice Muladi last week both demanded that
the UN prolong the registration period following its decision to
delay the schedule for the ballot to Aug. 30.

Overnight on Tuesday, the UN Security Council extended
UNAMET's mandate until Sept. 30, because of previous delays in
the ballot date, called for by Annan for security reasons.

Meanwhile, David Ximenes, head of political affairs at the
National Resistance Council for an Independent East Timor (CNRT),
denied on Wednesday that members of its armed wing, Falintil, had
registered for the ballot.

"Up to now there has been no single Falintil member sign up
for the vote. They don't believe the Indonesian security
authorities are able to protect them when they turn up to
register," David said.

He said the latest killing of CNRT member Angelino Amaral on
Sunday was evidence that proindependence supporters were not
adequately protected.

Antara reported on Tuesday that about 600 Falintil reserve
members had signed up for the ballot at a registration center in
Bobonaro village in Odomao.

Xanana

In Jakarta, jailed proindependence leader Jose Alexandre
"Xanana" Gusmao registered with UNAMET officials on Wednesday at
the Press Council Building on Jl. Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta.

Xanana's lawyer Johnson Pandjaitan said the president of CNRT
hoped that UNAMET would not further extend the registration
period, because the mission had already met its target.

"He's afraid that changes to the registration period could
delay the date for the ballot and allow for manipulations to take
place," Johnson said.

Xanana said pressure on UNAMET to open registration posts for
displaced East Timorese in East Nusa Tenggara would open
opportunities for fraud. He instead urged UNAMET and the
Indonesian government to move the refugees back to their own
villages.

He also suggested that UNAMET issue a campaign code of conduct
enabling both the proindependence and prointegration factions to
hold a joint rally during the campaign period, which will run
from Aug. 11 through Aug. 27.

"Let the two camps present their programs at the same forum
and see who is intent on violence," Xanana said, as quoted by
Johnson.

Many have predicted escalating violence during the campaign
period if UNAMET cannot arrange schedules to prevent supporters
of the two factions from meeting.

In Bali's capital Denpasar, 15 youths claiming to represent
the Forum for Unity, Democracy and Justice (FPDK), a
prointegration group, rallied at the town's registration center
to demand that UNAMET stay neutral and dispose of administrative
barriers for prospective voters to register for the ballot.

The youths dispersed themselves after a brief talk with local
International Organization for Migration (IOM) head Mike
Montagano. (33/50/amd)