ASSEMBLY SETS DEADLINE FOR DRAFT CONSTITUTION

The president of East Timor’s newly elected Constituent Assembly today announced that three of the assembly’s four thematic committees will present draft reports to the "Systematization and Harmonization" Commission on Monday, 5 November.

The "Systematization and Harmonization" Commission is tasked with molding the reports produced by the four thematic groups into a draft Constitution.

Under the timeline announced by Assembly President Francisco "Lu-Olo" Guterres today, the Systemization and Harmonization Commission will present its draft of the Constitution to him on 19 November. The assembly president will in turn put it to a plenary session the following day.

Guterres also announced today that the thematic group focusing on the Organization of the State and Political Power had been granted a week-long extension in order to complete its deliberations.

The thematic group focusing on "Rights, Duties and Liberties; Defence and National Security " today continued its public hearing phase. UNTAET National Security Advisor Nicola Dahrendorf and East Timor Defense Force Colonel Lere Anan Timor briefed the group and answered questions.

The "Systematization and Harmonization" Commission has already approved an overall structure that divides the Constitution into six parts. Part one includes "Fundamental Principles"; part two is devoted to "Fundamental Rights and Duties"; part three is related to the "Organization of Political Power"; part four covers provisions regarding "Economic and Financial Organization"; part five refers to "National Defense and Security", and part six considers "Constitutional guarantees and Amendment to the Constitution". This structure is being used to guide the work of the thematic committees.

The Constituent Assembly convened on 15 September and must approve a Constitution by mid-December.

JOSÉ RAMOS-HORTA CORRECTS "JAKARTA POST" ARTICLE

East Timor’s Minister of Foreign Affairs today corrected an article printed by an Indonesian daily newspaper claiming that East Timor and Indonesia had discussed demilitarization along their common border at a meeting held over the weekend.

"Demilitarization was never discussed, the only discussion was an exchange of pleasantries," said José Ramos-Horta, who is currently in Hobart, Australia, to attend an international conference on tourism. On Saturday, Ramos-Horta was part of an East Timorese delegation that went to East Timor’s Suai district to welcome back over 600 East Timorese from refugee camps in West Timor (please see UNTAET Press Briefing Note of 29 October 2001).

Today’s "Jakarta Post" also refers to the meeting as having taken place in Atambua, West Timor, when in fact it took place in Salele in Suai district.

Finally, the article quoted East Timorese independence leader Xanana Gusmão and made reference to him being in Dili. Gusmão is currently in China and at no point made any comment on the visit to the border.