UNAMET set to announce results today

UNAMET set to announce results today

JAKARTA (JP): As the situation in East Timor continued to
deteriorate, officials said the announcement of the results of
Monday's historic autonomy ballot would be moved up to Saturday
morning.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas, after an emergency
meeting with President B.J. Habibie on Friday evening, confirmed
the accelerated schedule, saying the United Nations Mission in
East Timor (UNAMET) was expected to finish the ballot count on
Friday night.

He said the announcement of the ballot results would likely be
moved forward by three days to avoid possible leaks.

Simultaneous announcements will be made in the East Timor
provincial capital of Dili and UN headquarters in New York.

"If the results are not immediately announced they could be
leaked. So it is better if they are announced tomorrow
(Saturday)," Alatas said.

He said leaks could come from various sources, including the
numerous observers present at the ballot counting center in Dili.

East Timorese went to the polls on Aug. 30 to decide whether
to accept or reject an offer of wide-ranging autonomy within
Indonesia.

Habibie said in January if the East Timorese rejected the
offer, he would ask the People's Consultative Assembly to annul a
1978 decree which legally integrated the former Portuguese colony
into Indonesia.

An official in Dili at the Indonesian Task Force for the
Implementation of the Popular Consultation on East Timor (P3TT)
revealed that the result would be announced Saturday at 9 a.m.

Preparations

In Friday's emergency meeting here in Jakarta Habibie also
summoned Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Wiranto,
Minister of Justice/State Secretary Muladi and National Police
chief Gen. Roesmanhadi.

Immediately following the meeting preparations for the
announcement began, suggesting that top officials may already
know the outcome of the ballot.

State-owned TVRI taped a speech by Habibie late Friday, which
would be aired as the government's official reaction following
the expected announcement of the ballot results.

However, Alatas maintained that no information on the outcome
of the ballot had yet been disclosed.

Alatas also said the government remained committed to
accepting the results of the ballot, whatever they were.

He also quoted Wiranto as saying the military and the police
would continue to maintain peace and order during any
transitional period in the territory.

Nevertheless, Alatas said the legitimate procedure following
the ballot was for the Assembly to have the final say on the
issue, because it was this body which legislated the integration
of East Timor.

The Assembly will hold its next session in November.

Wiranto earlier on Friday asserted his commitment to
respecting the results of the ballot: "The results must be
accepted as the best option."

Proautonomy supporters in East Timor seemed to be taking a
less conciliatory stance.

Jose Abilio Soares, the Jakarta-appointed governor of East
Timor, said the proautonomy camp would not accept UNAMET's
decision regardless of the result.

"We will reject the vote if we lose it. We will still protest
if we win it," Abilio said on ANteve on Friday. "We're ready to
face the consequences (of our rejection)."

He claimed UNAMET was not impartial and the ballot was rigged,
pointing to the predominance of proindependence East Timorese
hired as local staff by the UN mission.

Rampage

Meanwhile, militias continued to roam through several towns in
East Timor.

Two local UNAMET staff members were killed and 20 houses razed
in the town of Maliana, 138 kilometers west of Dili.

East Timor police spokesman Capt. Widodo DS identified the two
dead as Domingos Soares Pereira, 36, and Robin Barros, 24. Both
worked as drivers.

UNAMET's 40 international staff and 14 local staff in Maliana
were evacuated under police escort to Dili on Friday. However,
five local staff members are reported missing.

"The five other staff are apparently missing; unaccounted for.
But they could just be in hiding. After last night's incident,
many of our staff sought refuge in the local police station," a
UN source told The Jakarta Post by phone.

A resident in Maliana told the Post that the situation was
still tense on Friday evening, particularly in the southern and
eastern areas. "People have fled to villages in the mountains,"
he said.

From Sydney, AFP reported that Australian Prime Minister John
Howard phoned Habibie to warn him of serious consequences if any
Australians become casualties of the escalating violence.

"I particularly expressed concern about the safety of the
Australian police and the other Australians who are in East
Timor, and how damaging it would be to our relationship if any
harm were to come to them," Howard said. (05/06/33/das/emb/prb)