East Timor: Fretilin leader makes victory speech BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Sep 6, 2001

Source: RDP Antena 1 radio, Lisbon, in Portuguese 0800 gmt 6 Sep 01

Lu Olo, head of the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor, Fretilin, has congratulated his party members on an "irreproachable election campaign" and other parties and candidates for honouring the code of conduct and hence contributing to the success of the elections. He said his party reiterated its solemn intention to constitute a government of inclusion and "a state where moral standards and ethics prevail in the defence of the public good and in the establishment and consolidation of a democratic state of law". The following is the text of a report by Portuguese radio on 6 September

[Presenter] A week after the elections in Timor, the final results were announced today. Fretilin [Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor] won the elections but failed to obtain a qualified majority to approve the constitution alone. The ASDT [Timorese Social Democratic Association], which came in fourth, has already said it will support Fretilin in parliament. Mari Alkatiri's party obtained 57.37 per cent of the vote, this means 55 seats of the 88 available. This is five seats short of a two-thirds majority.

[Reporter] We can now hear live the victory statement made by Lu Olo, Fretilin's president.

[Lu Olo] Good afternoon. According to the provisional results, which are waiting to be validated and subsequently officially announced by the council of commissioners, Fretilin has won with a comfortable margin. The results from all the districts reveal its solid presence throughout the territory. Fretilin would like to express its deep gratitude to all the Maubere [East Timorese] people, the young people, men and women from Loro Sae to Loro Uno, from Tasimania to Tasefeto, and from Oecussi to Aturisaco [names phonetic], for the massive and serene participation in the election process which is about to be concluded. Fretilin greets, above all, the young people who responded to the party's appeal to ensure the electoral process was irreproachable, with its unconditional observance of the principles of peace, justice and social solidarity.

Fretilin thanks the people of East Timor for the confidence they placed in the party unequivocally and clearly, at the ballot boxes. Fretilin greets all its members, particularly the National Electoral Campaign Committee and all those who were actively involved, for their dedication and hard work. Fretilin is proud to have carried out and ensured an irreproachable election campaign. Fretilin must also thank the other political parties and independent candidates who honoured the code of conduct and hence contributed to the success of the elections.

The wish of the Timorese people to assume their destiny with responsibility and solidarity, was once more reiterated, and so we are all to be congratulated. Fretilin counts on everyone to build a consensus in the constituent [assembly] to draw up a constitution we can all be proud of. Not just because it will be modern and technically good, but above all because it will be the constitution which we all want, which we will all respect and defend. Fretilin counts on anyone who wants to serve the people, without complexes of superiority or any other type. Serving the community entails dedication and hard work, in addition to ability, solid moral principles, honesty and strength of character.

Fretilin reiterates solemnly its intention to constitute a government of inclusion, which will act as a catalyst for knowledge and the available synergies, to build and consolidate a state apparatus which is effective and without room for corruption, nepotism or the traffic of influence. A state where moral standards and ethics prevail in the defence of the public good and in the establishment and consolidation of a democratic state of law. Fretilin commits itself, before the Maubere people, to guarantee the construction of a democratic state of law in East Timor, and it will do its utmost so that nothing and no one is able to jeopardize this objective.

Finally Fretilin would like to thank the Independent Electoral Committee and all the national and international observers as well as the Fretilin delegates and those of the other parties for Fretilin is confident that the Timorese people and especially its cadres and members, will wait patiently for the validation and announcement of the results, while we prepare the great party when we will all celebrate because we are all to be congratulated.

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