August 19, 2001
The UN administrator in East Timor, Sergio Vieira de Mello, has appealed for calm from leaders of parties competing in elections later this month. As a precautionary measure, the European Commission will also send 30 observers to monitor the August 30 elections.
Analysts say despite fierce campaigning, the territory's largest political party, Fretilin, is expected to win over rival, the Democratic Union Of Timor. Fretilin spearheaded the territory's independence movement two years ago. At a mass rally on Saturday, the party's general secretary, Mari Alkatiri, said he is confident of a landslide victory in the historic ballot. He played a pivotal role in resisting Indonesia's 24-year occupation, which ended in 1999 after the territory voted to break away in a UN-sponsored referendum, and has ensured its strong popularity in the territory.
East Timor goes to the polls on August 30 to elect an 88-member assembly, which will draft a constitution and steer the former Portuguese colony to full independence. The constituent assembly will be transformed into East Timor's first national parliament when the territory gains independence next year.
East Timor's popular independence leader Xanana Gusmao, is widely expected to become the territory's first democratically elected leader in presidential elections later this year or early 2002.
Meanwhile, a key element of preparing East Timor for independence, is developing its defence force. And hundreds of former guerrilla fighters are now going through their paces, as the first recruits for the new East Timor Defence Force. Drawn mainly from the ranks of East Timor's old resistance army, Falintil, the recruits are being trained by Portuguese and Australian military advisers. Canberra has also offered US$14 million to help build-up the force.
Most of the recruits have already spent years in the jungle, fighting for independence from Indonesia which invaded the territory in 1975. So it is no wonder that their average age is a mature 42 - with the oldest being 56 years of age. They may know how to kill and have their own style of discipline, but the fighters now have to learn the formalities and rigors of a modern army.
The five-week course covers basic training, such as navigation, weapons safety and instruction in human rights. United Nations advisers are structuring the defence force as one that will be able to see off militia incursions from the border areas of West Timor, where hundreds of pro-Jakarta militias are still based.
Hundreds of East Timorese were killed, and tens of thousands forced across the border by the militias in 1999, after East Timor voted for independence from Indonesia. Ultimately, the East Timor Defence Force will have 3,000 members, evenly divided between regulars and reserves.
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