August 4, 1999
Voter registration in East Timor for the August 30 autonomy ballot has been extended by two days, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
''The Secretary-General has approved a recommendation from Unamet that registration in East Timor should be kept open for two more full days,'' Ian Martin, head of the United Nations Mission in East Timor (Unamet), said. Mr Martin said the extension of the registration period was unlikely to affect the date of the ballot, but that discussions were continuing with the political groups in East Timor.
Voter registration was due to end on Wednesday, but Mr Martin said it would be extended until Friday in East Timor and until Sunday for East Timorese registering in other parts of the world.
''One of our major concerns is for people who have been internally displaced,'' he said. There are 40,000 to 60,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in East Timor.
''The indications are that a very good proportion of the internally displaced have presented themselves... but an extension of the period will be useful to make sure that the maximum number of the IDPs have registered,'' saidMr Martin. He added the UN had registered a total of 410,556 voters up to Monday evening, exceeding their initial estimates of 300,000 to 400,000 eligible voters.
''The fact that we have surpassed the estimate of 400,000 is an indication of the enthusiasm of people to participate in this popular consultation.'' Mr Martin added Unamet wants ''to see further improvement [in the security situation] especially before the campaign period begins''.
''We are making that clear,'' he said.
