Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring

May 11, 2001, Friday

UN chief in Timor unhappy with criticisms of Portuguese MPs

Diario de Noticias web site, Lisbon, in Portuguese 11 May 01

Text of report "Vieira de Mello fed up with criticisms against UNTAET (UN Transitional Administration in East Timor) " by Portuguese newspaper Diario de Noticias web site on 11 May

There has been some controversy between the Portuguese parliament and UNTAET UN Transitional Administration in East Timor , following a report by Portuguese parliamentarians in which the UN mission in East Timor is criticized. "If these gentlemen wish to take over the situation I can give them my job tomorrow", said the Brazilian UN transitional administrator in Dili, Sergio Vieira de Mello head of UNTAET, UN Transitional Administration in East Timor .

In the report published yesterday the representatives of the ad-hoc parliamentary committee for Timor, which visited the territory last March, criticized the UN administration (UNTAET) for being expensive and not very effective. "UNTAET has been exemplary in its mission of maintaining security and socio-economic stabilization in the territory, however its administration is expensive, not very effective and has not promoted a timely preparation of Timorese cadres for the management of the future", the parliamentarians defended.

Reacting to these accusations, Vieira de Mello told Portuguese TSF radio that he was fed up with criticisms, although he was not aware of the content of the report. "We have taken all the necessary measures to give continuation to the transitional process, but if these gentlemen wish to take over control of the situation I can give them my job tomorrow", he said.

Anacoreta Correia of the Popular Party , the president of the committee, considered Vieira de Mello's position as "too emotional" because he had "reacted to news instead of reacting to the report", and announced in a press conference that he wished to talk with the transitional administrator, although he added he would not withdraw their assessment.

In order to demonstrate that what "is wrong" with UNTAET "is not the person", but "the system" and "all the bureaucracy and philosophy of the UN", Anacoreta Correia underlined the fact that Timor "is lucky to have Sergio Vieira de Mello" as its administrator.

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