UNAMET hails Horta's planned visit to E. Timor

DILI, East Timor (JP): The UN Assistance Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) on Friday welcomed the planned visit of proindependence figure and 1996 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos-Horta here next month for campaigning for the Aug. 8 ballot.

UNAMET spokesman David Wimhurst said that all prointegration and proindependence leaders, including Ramos-Horta, have the right to campaign for support ahead of the direct vote.

The campaign period will start on July 20, Wimhurst told reporters at UNAMET headquarters on Jl. De Balide, West Dili.

UNAMET, he said, would cooperate with local police to protect all leaders on both sides to ensure security during the campaign period.

"We hope we could cooperate with the police in carrying out their duties. By doing so, local residents would believe that the police are neutral," he said.

Antara reported on Thursday from Canberra that Horta plans to visit Dili early next month prior to the vote.

Following a meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, Ramos-Horta said he would meet UNAMET chief Ian Martin in Dili upon his arrival to offer his support in making the direct vote a success.

In his meeting with Downer, Ramos-Horta stressed the importance of the ballot and called on Australia to help ensure it would be carried through.

"If the ballot fails, Indonesia will bear big costs," he said.

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and Minister of Information Muhammad Yunus have previously said the government does not object to Ramos-Horta visiting Indonesia to hold reconciliation talks.

Downer, meanwhile, did not comment on Ramos-Horta's plan to visit East Timor.

He only said he would meet with officials of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund regarding the East Timor issue, and will attend an Australia-New Zealand bilateral meeting to discuss with his New Zealand counterpart, Don McKinnon, the developments in East Timor.

State-run television station TVRI reported on Thursday night that during his visit Horta would try to unite supporters of independence and integration in East Timor.

According to Wimhurst, Ian Martin has visited places to be used as registration centers for people to vote in the ballot.

During his visits to Baucau, Ermera, Maliana and Suai areas, Martin also met with local authorities, police chiefs and military commanders to discuss the latest security developments.

Martin said that secure and free conditions necessary for holding the ballot had not yet been established in those areas.

UNAMET volunteers in charge of registration for the ballot are scheduled to arrive in Darwin, northern Australia, on June 15 and June 16.

They will be trained in Darwin before being deployed in East Timor.

Some police officers with the United Nations mission are expected to arrive in Darwin on Friday.

Separately, chief of the Udayana Military Command overseeing East Timor Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri said on Friday that the Indonesian Military (TNI) would remain neutral.

"We call on both disputing parties to take part in the ballot process peacefully," Adam said.

"We guarantee that Falintil (a pro-independence group) will be able to take part in the ballot. We also call for both parties to lay down their arms," he said. (33/jun/bsr)