SOMET Calls for End to Violence and Instability in Timor-Leste

in Tetum: SOMET Appela atu Hapara Violencia no Instabilidade iha Timor Leste

Solidarity Observer Mission for East Timor (SOMET)

SOMET Calls for End to Violence and Instability in Timor-Leste

Contacts: New York: John M. Miller (ETAN), +1-718-596-7668; +1-917-690-4391; email: etan@igc.org

Philippines: Gus Miclat (IID/APSOC), +63-82-2992574 & 75; email: gus@iidnet.org

Netherlands: Endie van Binsbergen (VOT), +31-30-294-5599, +31-6-2320-8594; email: eurobservers@yahoo.com

August 9 - The Solidarity Observer Mission for East Timor (SOMET) is deeply worried about continued instability in Timor-Leste, despite recent credible elections. Although media reports and past traumas have exaggerated the implications of the limited, sporadic violence of the last few days, we remain concerned that prolonged unrest and allegations of government illegitimacy could undermine Timor-Leste’s fragile democracy.

We urge people to express their views peacefully and legally, without violence. Supporters of all sides should be free to voice their opinions but not to impose them through violence or intimidation. We agree with leaders from across Timor-Leste’s political spectrum who have spoken out against violence, and we hope they will persuade their partisans to remain calm.

Timor-Leste needs a stable government and a peaceful environment to allow it to overcome both long-standing and short-term problems, including those of poverty, security, unemployment, health, justice, infrastructure, and education. Some of these and other critical issues underlie Timor's current insecurity.

SOMET believes that the newly-elected Parliament and President represent the will of the voters, and SOMET reiterates our praise for Timor-Leste’s electorate and electoral officials in conducting three largely free, fair and peaceful elections this year. We continue to believe that legal, constitutional processes are the only way for Timor-Leste to move from its current post-independence adolescence to become a mature, democratic nation.

The four parties which make up the Alliance for Parliamentary Majority include more than half of the members of Parliament. The new Government headed by Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão appears to be the most likely to survive constitutional hurdles, providing essential stability.

Any parties that disagree can use the process provided for in the Constitution by introducing a parliamentary motion of no confidence. If it passes, they will have the opportunity to form their own Government. However, if Parliament affirms its confidence in Xanana Gusmão’s Government, FRETILIN and other parties should accept its legitimacy and serve as a responsible, vigorous and constructive parliamentary opposition. A cycle of repeated Government dissolution and creation and will only add to Timor-Leste's political uncertainty.

We encourage all political parties not in the Government to be strong watchdogs, proposing and advocating alternative policies and legislation. We also expect the Government to respect the opposition and to respond to its views, as well as to those of civil society. Everyone should learn from the policies and attitudes over the past several years and work to restore the confidence of the people in democratic institutions. Timor-Leste needs more cooperative relationships among politicians from all parties, as well as between the government and the people.

SOMET will soon issue its detailed report of its observations of the June 30 election and its recommendations for future electoral processes. Previous SOMET reports are available online at http://www.etan.org/etan/obproject/ .

Solidarity Observer Mission for East Timor (SOMET) is a nonpartisan observer mission including both international and domestic non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to monitor the 2007 Presidential and parliamentary elections in Timor-Leste.

SOMET was created by the US-based East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN), in cooperation with Stichting Vrij Oost Timor (VOT) of the Netherlands, Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) and the Asia Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC) based in the Philippines, and the World Forum for Democratization in Asia (WFDA), in response to requests from several civil society organizations in Timor-Leste. In Timor-Leste, SOMET cooperates with Asosiasaun HAK, Timor-Leste NGO Forum, La'o Hamutuk, FOKUPERS, Bibi Bulak and the Kadalak Sulimutuk Institute.

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SOMET Appela atu Hapara Violencia no Instabilidade iha Timor Leste

Augusto dia 9 - Maske elisaun ne'ebe la'o ho diak, Groupu 'Solidarity Observer Mission for East Timor (SOMET)' perkupada ho violencia no instabilidade ne'ebe kontinua akontece iha Timor-Leste. Maske reportajen husi media no kondisaun trauma ne'ebe populasaun Timor sofre husi akontecimentu sira iha passadu mos egjajera violencia ne'ebe akontece iha loron hirak liu ba, SOMET fiar katak situasaun instabilidade no allegasaun kona ba ilejitimasaun governu nian bele impede processu demokracia iha Timor-Leste.

SOMET husu ba ema hotu-hotu atu bele hato'o ninia vijaun ho damen no tuir lei no regras ne'ebe applika iha Konstitusaun, laos ho violencia. Militantes husi parte hotu-hotu tenke ser hato'o ninia opiniaun ho livre, maibe la'os hodi uza dalan violencia no intimidasaun. Ami konkorda ho lideranca husi Timor Leste nia mensajen ba ema hotu-hotu atu hapara violencia, no ami fiar katak nai'n ulun partidu sira sei husu ba sira nia simpatizantes para hakmatek.

Timor-Leste persiza iha ambiente nebe iha paz no damen hodi nune'e bele faciliata governu atu resolve problema iha rai klaran hanesan povereza, seguranca, edukasaun, saudi, justica, no hadi'a infrastruktura iha Timor-Leste. Ami fiar katak problema sira ne'e hanesan faktoris nebe kontribui ba instabilidade iha rai klaran.

SOMET fiar katak Parlementu no Presidente foun Timor Leste nian sei representa votantes sira assuntus. Dala ida tan, SOMET hakarak hoto'o ninia parabens bo'ot ba votantes sira no officiais elisaun nia ne'ebe participa iha eleisaun ho livre no damen. Ami fiar katak tuir procesu ne'be Konstitusaun fo nudar dalan ida nebe sei lori Timor Leste hanesan nasaun ida ne'ebe foin hetan idependencia ba maturidade. Hodi tuir procesu nebe promugla iha Konstitusaun, Timor-Leste bele hametin Timor-Leste ninia procesu democrasia ne'ebe sei ki'ik no nurak.

Partidu hat nebe establese Alianca hetan Mairidade iha Parlementu. Governu foun ho Primeiru Minstru Xanan Gusmao iha potensial para hasoru obstaklus iha rai klaran no kria estabilidade iha Timor-Leste.

Partidu sira ne'ebe la konkorada bele uza processu ne'ebe fo husi Konstitusaun hodi hato'o sira nian 'motion of no confidence/Assaun la iha konfidencia'. Kuandu assaun ne'e hetan approvasaun, sira sei hetan opportunidade hodi forma sira nia governu. Maibe kuandu Parlementu affirma ninia konfidencia iha Xanana Gusmao nia governu, FRETILIN no partidu sira seluk tenke simu lijitimasaun governu ida ne'e no serve hanesan opzisaun ne'ebe forca no konstruktivu iha Parlementu.

SOMET fo korajen maka'as ba partidu hotu-hotu nebe la tur iha governu atu kontinua participa hodi fo alternativus no kontribusaun diak ba decizaun nebe governu halo. Ami mos husu ba governu atu respeita nafatin vizaun no opiniauns husi partidu opozisaun sira, no mos sociedade civil iha Timor Leste. Ema ida-idak tenke ser apriende husi experiencia nebe hetan iha tinan hirak liu ba hodi buka hadi'a fila fali povu nia konfidencia iha governu no institusaun sira seluk iha Timor-leste. Timor-Leste persiza koperasaun no relasaun ne'ebe diak entre nai'n ulun sira husi partidu hotu-hotu, inklui mos entre govenru no sociedade.

SOMET sei hasai ninia reportajen nebe detailhus liu kona ba observasaun nebe ami halo ba elisaun iha dia 30 fulan Juinho. Reprotajen sira seluk bele hetan husi /etan/obproject/.

Solidarity Observer Mission for East Timor (SOMET) hanesan misaun observador nebe neutral, la mete ba partidu ruma. SOMET ninia staff inklui observador husi orginizasaun internacional no ONG nacional nebe halo monitorizasaun ba elesaun Presidente no Parlementu iha Timor-Leste.

Servicu hamutuk ho Stichting Vrij Oost Timor (VOT) husi Netherlands, Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) and the Asia Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC) iha Filipina, no World Forum for Democratization in Asia (WFDA), ETAN hari'i SOMET baseia ba appelu husi organizasaun sociedade civil iha Timor-Leste.

Iha Timo- Leste , SOMET service hamutuk ho Asosiasaun HAK, ONG Forum, La'o Hamutuk, FOKUPERS, Bibi Bulak and the Kadalak Sulimutuk Institute.

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