Bahasa Indonesia Headlines ­ Tuesday 3 July 2001

1. Campaign rules for political parties to be determined by UNTAET 
2. Portuguese parliamentary aid meant for NC 
3. At least 300 refugees returned quietly to Timor Lorosae last month 
4. Ten political parties to lodge protest with UN Secretary-General

1. Campaign rules for political parties to be determined by UNTAET (Suara Timor Lorosae, front page headline)

The UN Transitional Administration will determine the code of conduct of all political parties, for the 30 August election, when campaigning starts on 15 July.

This was stated by UN Transitional Administrator Sergio Vieira de Mello at a press conference yesterday.

Sergio de Mello said with the campaign code of conduct would ensure that political campaigning would run smoothly and peacefully.

With regard to the counting of the votes, Sergio de Mello said it would be done in one place. The Transitional Administrator added that security during the campaign and the period leading up to the election will be tight with Civpol and the Timor Lorosae police out in full force.

2. Portuguese parliamentary aid meant for NC (Suara Timor Lorosae, front page second lead)

The aid 30,000 kontus escudo given by the Portuguese Parliament was meant for the National Council and not for individual NC members. The aid will also be used by the future Constituent Assembly.

This was stated yesterday by the Councillor in the Portuguese Mission Jorge Lobo de Masquita in an interview with STL.

He said the money was given by the President of the Portuguese Assembly Dr Almeida Santos and was received by the former NC President Xanana Gusmao on 17 November last year in Lisbon.

Jorge Lobo said the grant was made to help the National Council in its legislative activities.

Though the Portuguese government will not get involved in the dispute on whether the aid money should be distributed out to individual NC members, Jorge Lobe, however, said Lisbon would want to see the funds passed over to the new Constituent Assembly ­ to be formed after the 30 August election.

Meanwhile UNTAET spokesperson Barbara Reis said she was disappointed with rumors that the Portuguese aid money was already used up by the National Council Secretariat.

“Before making any claims, the parties concerned should have checked their information,” she said.

“The Portuguese funds were given not for use by individual NC members by for use by the National Council as a whole. Whatever funds that were left over from the NC was to be used by the new Constituent Assembly. But at the end of the day, it was the National Council itself that would have to make the decision whether the Assembly was to use the leftover money or the leftover funds be distributed out to the members.”

3. At least 300 refugees returned quietly to Timor Lorosae last month (Suara Timor Lorosae, front page third lead)

At least 300 refugees from Indonesia-controlled West Timor returned quietly, last month, to Timor Lorosae.

This was confirmed yesterday by Lt.Colonel Risdhianto, a TNI Commandant stationed at the West Timor-Timor Lorosae border in Belu.

“We [TNI] don’t really know the reason why these refugees decided to return home on their own. They did not tell us of their intentions earlier,” he said.

Lt.Colonel Rishhianto said the refugees were assisted by UN PKF troops stationed in Balibo district.

The TNI officer said the refugees were from the villages of Kewar and Bora in West Timor’s Belu sub-district.

Lt.Colonel Risdhianto said TNI-manned border checkpoints at Kewar and Bora had been dismantled because of requests from the villagers there.

4. Ten political parties to lodge protest with UN Secretary-General (Timor Post, front page second lead)

Ten political parties, out of the 16, registered with the Independent Electoral Commission are disappointed with the aid package made available by Untaet.

The 10 parties are PPT, PDC, ASDT, Parentil, PL, PD, PDM, PTT, PSD and PNT. The party leaders told reporters that they would lodge an official complaint to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

The political parties want cash instead to be handed over directly, by UNTAET, to them instead of the provision of facilities and other help.

Meanwhile Louise Frechette UN Deputy Secretary-General in her briefing to political parties said she was happy with the progress made so far with regard to the 30 August election.

In her briefing, she said she would also be hearing views from the local staff of the UN and NGO workers.

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