| Subject: AP: E. Timor's first president
resigns from legislature, citing govt failures
Received from Joyo Indonesia News
Associated Press March 14, 2005
East Timor's first president resigns from legislature, citing
government failures
A man who served as East Timor's temporary leader in 1975 before it was
invaded by Indonesia resigned Monday from his country's legislature,
citing the government's failure to attract foreign investment and saying
he wants to prepare for 2007 elections.
Francisco Xavier do Amaral, who lost to popular resistance leader
Xanana Gusmao in the territory's first free presidential election in 2002,
said he was powerless to solve East Timor's problems, including weak
economic growth, because of the failures of the ruling nationalist party,
Fretilin.
"It is already three years since our independence but no investors
have yet come to East Timor to invest here and offer job opportunity to
the people," do Amaral said. He said he would begin preparing for
2007 parliamentary and presidential polls.
Do Amaral served as East Timor's acting president during the 10 days in
1975 between Portugal's withdrawal as its colonial ruler and Indonesia's
invasion of the territory of 600,000 people.
Like other Fretilin leaders, do Amaral escaped into the mountains and
led a guerrilla war against the occupiers. But he soon fell out of favor
with Fretilin, saying he was unwilling to continue the struggle in which
about 200,000 people _ a third of the population _ perished.
In 1978, he was captured by Indonesian troops and taken to Jakarta,
where he remained a prisoner for over two decades.
In 1999, East Timor opted overwhelmingly for independence in a
U.N.-organized referendum that sparked widespread retaliatory violence by
the Indonesian army and its proxy militias. The territory achieved full
independence in 2002 following a period of U.N. transitional rule, but
remains Asia's poorest country.
Do Amaral returned to Dili in 2000 and set up his own political party,
the Association of Timorese Social Democrats, which he hoped would
challenge Fretilin's dominance by attracting more foreign aid and
investment.
But he garnered only 17 percent of the presidential vote when he
challenged Gusmao in 2002.
Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri criticized do Amaral's resignation.
"If he is not satisfied with any area of the government's work he
should offer alternative solutions, not just resign from Parliament,"
he said.
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