[Poster's note: Long repeats of international articles already sent out
to the east-timor list (info@etan.org) have been removed.]
Compiled by the Public Information Office from national and international
sources
UNOTIL Daily Media Review
Thursday, September 29th 2005
National Media Reports
Horta: Princess Anne visit shows strong UK-TL relations
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Jose Ramos Horta has said
that the visit of Princess Anne and her husband Timothy Lawrence shows that
the relations between the United Kingdom and Timor-Leste are very strong.
Speaking at a press conference at the International Airport after
accompanying the Princess and her husband to the airport upon departing
Timor-Leste, Horta said that the Princess’ visit is a symbol of these good
relations. The Minister stated that during the 1999 crisis in Timor-Leste
the contribution of the United Kingdom to the UN Security Council’s decision
to intervene in the crisis was a very important one, and explained that
since then the UK has also provided important multilateral assistance during
Timor-Leste’s transition period and up to the present, an example being the
training that the UK together with Australia has provided to the PNTL. The
Minister thanked the UK Ambassador Tina Redshaw for her invaluable
assistance in facilitating the visit, and told the media that the Princess
took some Timorese coffee home with her as a keepsake from her visit here.
UK Ambassador Redshaw also told reporters that one of the concrete results
of the Princess’ visit to Timor-Leste was that a WWII veteran with a missing
leg was yesterday provided with a false leg from the ASSERT organization, an
organization funded by the United Kingdom and visited by the Princess
yesterday. While here the Princess also launched the BBC’s World language
service in Timor-Leste at frequency 105.9 FM. (TP, TVTL, DT, DN, STL)
STAE acknowledges error
It is reported that STAE has acknowledged its error in relation to the
results of the village elections held on 20 September for the village of
Haburas, Motael. The results from the counting as witnessed by the Haburas
village population themselves clearly showed that the Social Democrat Party
(PSD) had won, however the results as publicized by STAE declared that PSD
had received zero votes. Vice-Director of STAE Edgar Sigueira Martins told
journalists on Wednesday that this was STAE’s mistake, as sometimes there
are typing errors. He confirmed that the matter had been clarified between
STAE and PSD, that the error had been corrected on STAE’s behalf, and that
there was not an issue with the incorrect candidate name, just the party
name. He explained that the results published by STAE were provisional
results, and that the Court of Appeal is responsible for declaring the
final, conclusive results. He asserted that the above mistake was not an
attempt by STAE to manipulate the election results as declared by some
political parties, but just a simple error. In a separate article, Mr
Martins was reported by STL as clarifying that STAE would prepare 175 voting
stations for the upcoming village elections on 30 September. (TP)
Timor Border problem to be discussed in District Parliament
The issue of the borders between Indonesia, Timor-Leste and Australia was
scheduled to be discussed in Indonesia’s District Parliament session in
Jakarta on Wednesday. The Parliament has invited the Association for those
who Care for West Timor (YPTB), an organization which has been very vocal on
the issue for some time, to attend the session, along with several other
guests including the Governor of East Nusa Tenggara, political
representatives, and several military and police officials of the West Timor
area. In its press release the YPTB has declared that its minimal target for
this session is that the rights and interests of the people of West Timor,
Sabu, Rote and Alor, which have up to now been disregarded by Jakarta and
Canberra, to be noted as one of the Issues for Recommendation for the
District Parliament’s Plenary Session to begin on 30 September. The
recommendation will then be forwarded to the Indonesian National Parliament
and Central Government to be followed up. This would mean that all
agreements made between Indonesia and Australia regarding the Timor Sea
since 1971 would be rendered invalid and would be subjected to trilateral
negotiations together with the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, and in
accordance with international legal principles. (TP)
Border market management transferred
The central government of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province has
transferred its authority for the management of the three traditional
markets along the border between the Belu District of West Timor and Timor-Leste.
The markets have been transferred to the authority of the local Belu
Administration, in order that market income can be directly attributed to
the local administration. Head of the NTT Office of Commerce and Industry
Supartantyo in Kupang confirmed the transfer, and explained that the
traditional markets in that area are designed to attract Timor-Leste
residents as buyers, in order to indirectly contribute to the revenue of the
local Belu Administration. (DT)
President Gusmão Asks Political Parties to Discuss Electoral Law
Speaking to the media on Wednesday after his meeting with President
Xanana Gusmão, President of PSD (Social Democratic Party) Mario Viegas
Carrascalão was reported as saying that during the meeting the President of
Republic requested all political parties to discuss the electoral law for
the 2007 general elections. Moreover, Carrascalão informed that President
Xanana wanted to organize a workshop next year for all political parties to
discuss the matter before taking it to the National Parliament for further
deliberations. At the meeting, Carrascalão said, PSD delegation also
expressed their disagreement over the Government’s policy in creating
Secretaries of States for the Regions. According to PSD, such policy was
unconstitutional since the Constitution [clearly] states that the law for
the creation of such administration needs to be approved first by the
Parliament. (TP)
Sarmento: Liberal Party Asks President Gusmão to Hold Dialogue with
Population on Truth and Friendship Commission
Vice President of Liberal Party, Carlos Sarmento had asked President
Xanana Gusmão during a meeting on Wednesday to hold dialogue with
populations at the grassroots level on the objectives of the creation of the
Truth and Friendship Commission, Timor Post reported. By doing so, he said,
it will be a way to clear the doubts of the population on the question of
justice. Sarmento also informed that during the meeting he raised his
party’s concerns over Government’s economic policy. His party found that
there is an urgent need to clearly define the economic system in order to
move forward as an independent nation. (TP, DT)
Claudio Ximenes: Olinda Guterres’ PDC is Invalid
The President of the Court of Appeal, Claudio Ximenes, told media
recently that the Court of Appeal only recognises the Christian Democratic
Party as Antonio Ximenes’ party and not Olinda Guterres version of PDC,
which was also considered illegal, reported Dario Tempo. Claudio Ximenes
added that apart from the existing regulation that a political party has to
fulfil, a political party also has to have around 1500 supporters to be
recognised as a political party for the Court of Appeal to register. (DT)
National News Sources
Timor Post (TP), Suara Timor Lorosa’e (STL), Diario Tempo (DT), Diario
Nacional (DC), Semanario, Lia Foun (LF), Televisaun Timor-Leste [TVTL], RTL
Radio Timor-Leste [RTL]
These items do not reflect the positions or views of the United Nations.
UNOTIL Public Information Office
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