FIRST DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN EAST
TIMOR TO BE HELD ON 30 AUGUST 2001

Transitional Administrator Sergio Vieira de Mello announced today that the first democratic election in East Timor will be held on 30 August 2001, after signing the Regulation on the Election of a Constituent Assembly. The regulation on the Election of a Constituent Assembly to Prepare a Constitution for an Independent and Democratic East Timor was approved by the National Council on 13 March. “This electoral law and its provisions for the participation of political parties are surely the most open and democratic in the world,” SRSG Vieira de Mello said today. CNRT/National Council President Xanana Gusmão witnessed the signing ceremony side by side with SRSG, before members of the Transitional Cabinet, National Council, Bishop of Baucau Basílio do Nascimento and diplomatic corps. “This is an historic moment. I can state here, as a simple East Timorese citizen, that all political leaders and the whole East Timor are fully committed to this process and are well aware of the difficulties we face,” said Xanana Gusmão.

On 13 March the National Council rejected the proposed quotas for women. As a consequence, today the SRSG added a paragraph to the preamble: “Encouraging the equal participation of women and men at all stages of the electoral and constitutional process, and undertaking to promote the full enjoyment by women of their civil and political rights.” The SRSG also announced that to accomplish the spirit of the deleted section on quotas, he will make broadcast time available equally to men and women candidates; will encourage the political parties to have at least thirty per cent of their lists of candidates made up of women, and he will direct UNTAET’s Gender Affairs Unit to identify one hundred potential women candidates for election to the Constituent Assembly and to organize a special training for these candidates.

East Timor will elect an 88-member Constituent Assembly. Each district will elect one representative on a majority basis and 75 members will be elected on a proportional basis. The elected assembly will prepare and adopt a constitution of an independent and democratic East Timor in a period of 90 days. An Independent Electoral Commission was officially established today. The Commission, with exclusive electoral authority, will be composed of a Chief Electoral Officer, Carlos Valenzuela, from Colombia, and five voting Commissioners to be appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General. Two will be East Timorese and three will be internationally recognized experts in electoral matters.

MEMORIAL CEREMONY FOR NEW ZEALAND PEACEKEEPER

SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello attended today a memorial ceremony in honor of Private Boyd Atkins, a New Zealand Peacekeeper whose body was found on Wednesday, 14 March at the bottom of the sea near Dili. The body was flown to Darwin, Australia today and is believed to arrive in New Zealand on Monday. Private Atkins was at Hera port for a four-day rest period from duty when he was reported missing by his colleagues.