Bahasa Indonesia Headlines ­ Monday 10 September 2001

1. Rogerio Lobato as Defense Minister and Mario Carrascalao as Interior Minister?
2. Mario Carrascalao: Fretilin must not make demands on the international community
3. A functional Cabinet
4. UNATIL targets 1,500 new students

1. Rogerio Lobato as Defense Minister and Mario Carrascalao as Interior Minister? (Suara Timor Lorosae, front page headline)

Although the 18 members of the soon-to-be-formed all Timorese Cabinet have not been named there is intense speculation on its composition. The following people could be in the new line-up of Timor Lorosae’s second transitional Cabinet:

a) Chief Minister: Mari Alkatari 
b) Minister of Foreign Affairs: Jose Luis Guterres or Jose Ramos-Horta 
c) Minister for Defense: Rogerio Lobato or David Dias Ximenes 
d) Minister for Internal Affairs: Anna Pessoa or Mario Viegas Carrascalao 
e) Minister of Education and Social Affairs: Dr Armindo Maia or Abel Ximenes 
f) Minister for Infrastructure: Jose Piedade, Ceaser Moreira or Joao Carrascalao 
g) Minister for Agriculture: Helder da Costa or Mariano Sabino Lopes 
h) Minister for Economy: Joao Mariano de Sousa Saldanha or Lucas da Costa 
i) Minister for Finance: Fernando Borges 
j) Minister for Health: Rui Araujo 
k) Minister for Gender Affairs: Milena Pires or Maria Domingas Alves

Meanwhile Fretilin Secretary General Mari Alkatari told STL that he met with UN Transitional Administrator Sergio Vieira de Mello, late Thursday, to discuss issues with regard to the second Transitional Cabinet. Mari said no names had been mentioned yet at his meeting with Sergio.

When asked who was the most likely candidate to be Chief Minister, Mari declined to answer. However, it is very certain that the Chief Minister’s post will go to the party that won the 30 August election.

2. Mario Carrascalao: Fretilin must not make demands on the international community (Suara Timor Lorosae, back page lead)

The President of the Social Democrat Party Mario Carrascalao said Fretilin after having won the 30 August election must not make demands to the international community by giving them ultimatums. He said the party needed to make compromises for the good of all.

He said there were three contentious issues that were on the Fretilin platform namely:

a) Proclaiming that independence was achieved on 28 November 1975; b) Adoption of the RDTL flag as the national flag; c) Naming the country Republika Demokrat Timor Leste.

“If the people agree to these three things, then they could be implemented. But if they don’t, another alternative has to be found,” said Mario Carrascalao.

“These things can only be decided upon at the Constituent Assembly,” he added.

3. A functional Cabinet (Suara Timor Lorosae, editorial)

The 30 August election is over and the results have already been announced. We now know that Fretilin has won the majority of seats in the Constituent Assembly. The composition of the second Transition Cabinet will be announced. This Cabinet comprises 18 Timorese Ministers.

The negotiations for the formation of the new Cabinet are still in its early stage. It however has to be emphasized that that those to be named as Cabinet members must have professional capabilities to govern the country. If incompetent people are named, the consequences for the country would be drastic.

The Cabinet must be inclusive of members from small political parties, youth leaders, women and independent candidates.

Though we acknowledge that Fretilin won the largest number of seats, the Cabinet composition, however, must not be based on party lines. Appointment to the Cabinet must be made on merit and not favoritism.

4. UNATIL targets 1,500 new students (Timor Post, page 2 lead)

The National University of Timor Lorosae (UNATIL) hopes to reach a target of 1,502 students in its new intake this semester. This intake is for all the faculties.

Speaking to Timor Post, the Dean of the Agriculture Faculty Flabiano Soares said the registration of new students for the 2001/2002 academic year started on 6 September.

He said the selection of students for all the faculties would be done on 21 September.

He said the university, now, faced a severe shortage of books. He hopes borrowing books from overseas libraries could avert the shortage.

Back to September menu
August
World Leaders Contact List
Human Rights Violations in East Timor
Main Postings Menu