Friday, 21 December 2007

UNMIT – MEDIA MONITORING

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National Media Reports

TVTL Summary News No coverage

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SRSG celebrates one year of leading UNMIT

The Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) for Timor-Leste, Atul Khare, is celebrating leading the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) for one year.

Mr. Khare said that since his arrival the incidents of murders, fighting between martial arts groups and number of IDPs has decreased.

The SRSG also said that during his time he has instigated initiatives to meet regularly with national authorities and political leaders to discuss the security of the nation.

"I believe that Timorese people expect peace in this country and the United Nations will continue to support this. We will assist Timor-Leste as long as we are needed," said Mr Khare at the end of the UNMIT press briefing on Wednesday (19/12) at Obrigado Barracks, Dili.

The SRSG said that currently Timor-Leste is still facing the ongoing problems of Alfredo, the petitioners’ case and IDPs. (STL and DN)

Xanana: fake IDPs

The Prime Minister (PM) Xanana Gusmão said that people posing as IDPs are joining the real IDPS in order to get government assistance.

PM Xanana said these people are creating greater challenges for rehabilitating IDPs back into their communities and are as such causing a grave injustice to real IDPs.

The government will provide options for the real IDPs to guarantee their future, dignity and rights, but will ignore the fake IDPs. (STL and TP)

Fretilin: 2008 State Budget does not reflect reality

The opposition party in the National Parliament (NP), Fretilin, claims that the state budget of 2008 does not reflect people's lives as there is no development plan for poverty reduction.

Jose Luis Guterres: Government will try to Alfredo and the petitioners'™ case

The Vice Prime Minister Jose Luis Guterres said that while Alfredo and the petitioner's case might create political tension in the country, the current government is still committed to finding a solution for the case. (STL)

Fretilin: No reforms with Xanana centralizing the budget

Fretilin's party strongly believes that the ambitions of the Alliance Government to create reforms in 2008 will not be realized as the budget is centralized under PM Xanana. (TP)

Government to establish anti-corruption commission in 2008

PM Xanana Gusmao promised that his government will establish for the first time an Anti-Corruption Commission to control corruption in the country.

PM also said that the commission will work upon concrete mechanisms to combat corruption effectively. (TP)

Manuel Tilman: asking the Alliance Gov to rule carefully

The Head of Commission for Economy, Finance and Anti-Corruption of NP (Commission C), Manuel Tilman, has asked the Alliance Government to rule carefully as in the state budget many important aspects of the country’s development have not been included.

"Sectoral relations, commercial and industry services, banks and objectives compatible with global results are not included," said Mr. Tilman on Wednesday (19/12) in the NP on the debate of State Budget of 2008. (DN)

Fernanda Borges: US dollars unconstitutional

The President of National Unity Party (PUN) Fernanda Borges said that the US$381.1 million is unconstitutional and will provide no benefit to the people. The PUN is set to take this matter to the Court of Appeals.

"The state budget is unconstitutional and we will bring it to the Court of Appeals since the programs give no benefit to the people and are not based on law," said Ms. Borges in the NP, Dili.

The opposition is claiming that the 2008 state budget does not reflect the needs of the people and gives no importance to areas of priority such as health, agriculture, education and infrastructure.

In response, NP members from the Alliance said that the 2008 state budget does indeed cover people'needs and will be implemented in 2008. (DN)

International Media Reports

A new budget for East Timor Last Updated 20/12/2007, 18:33:25 ABC Radio Australia

East Timor's parliament has approved a state budget of nearly 350 million US dollars for 2008.

Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao told parliament the government aims to consolidate national security and stability.

He says the government will also create a productive system to enable sustainable development and resolve the main problems of the nation, especially poverty and unemployment.

Mr. Gusmão says his administration will use some of the more than one-Billion US dollars from an oil and gas fund to tackle poverty.

A representative of the opposition Fretilin party and a former interim prime minister, Estanislao da Silva, says the budget doesn't amount to a national development plan.

He says the Gusmao government isn't investing much on infrastructure, education and health.

ADB grants 6 million USD to Timorese capital Dili for better access to safe water 12.19.07, 5:25 AM ET AFX News Limited

MUMBAI (Thomson Financial) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said it will contribute 6 million USD to help the Timor-Leste government in improving water supplies to its capital, Dili.

ADB said, the Dili Urban Water Supply Sector Project, which is likely to cost about 7.5 million USD will provide good quality water for 24 hours a day, to about 30 pct of all Dili households, businesses and institutions.

The Timor-Leste government will provide the rest of the funding for the project, which will be implemented over 29 months, commencing mid-2008.

TFN.newsdesk@thomson.com ndi/man

NATIONAL NEWS SOURCES: Timor Post (TP) Radio Timor-Leste (RTL) Suara Timor Lorosae (STL) Diario Tempo (DT) Diario Nacional (DN) Semanario Televisaun Timor-Leste (TVTL)

UNMIT MEDIA MONITORING www.unmit.org