UNTAET’s Civic Education Program Coordinator, Anna Moradi, will meet donor countries and United Nations Agencies on Friday, 22 September, to discuss a national campaign on civic education for democracy to be launched by mid-October.
The project proposes that US$7 million be invested by UNTAET on the campaign, including expenses for personnel during the period leading up to the elections, expected to be held in the second half of next year. There is roughly US$1 million missing to cover expenses for training, workshops and general procurement, such as translating and printing materials.
Three civic education kits have been completed and are being translated at the moment. The kits explain the meaning of democracy, representative democracy and freedom of speech.
Three main civic education programs – political education, basic rights and democratic elections – are being proposed.
A Civic Education Center, with branches in all 13 districts, will coordinate the campaign and serve as a resource center.
CIVIL SERVANT RECRUITMENT
Over 58 per cent of the total amount of the Timorese civil servants in the East Timor Transitional Administration have been hired, while 5.6 per cent are in the process of being appointed or recruited. Thirty-six per cent are at the pre-recruitment stage.
The first permanently hired Timorese civil servant, Libório Pereira, was appointed on 2 August as the Secretary of the Public Service Commission.
By June 2001, the end of the current fiscal year, the East Timorese Transitional Administration is expected to have around 9,000 civil servants in its employ. The current number is 5,035.
PUBLIC HEARING ON REGULATION ON CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
After a public hearing on the draft regulation on Transitional Rules of Criminal Procedure today, it was decided that more discussion is needed before a final decision is made.
The main arguments against the draft regulation came from the expert witness Aniceto Guterres, director of the East Timorese human rights organization Yayasan Hak, who said that the draft needed to be more comprehensive.
Overall, there was substantial support for the draft, but with reservations in regard to the juvenile jurisdiction – it was proposed that the age of a minor should be reduced from 21 years – the powers of the Public Prosecutor and the procedures in reporting a crime.
The draft regulation will be further discussed at the National Consultative Council meeting on Thursday, 21 September.
The panel heard five additional witnesses, Maria da Gloria Castro Hull, from East Timorese Women’s Network; Alexander S. Nicholas, Deputy Principal Legal Adviser at UNTAET’s Legal Affairs; Essa Saal, Prosecutor with UNTAET’s Judicial Affairs Unit; Rodney Hatsfield, Special Representative of UNICEF; and Sergio Hornai, member of Jurists Association of East Timor.
SINGAPOREAN DELEGATION VISITS EAST TIMOR
A Singaporean government delegation arrived in Dili today for a three-day visit.
The delegation includes the Director of the South Asia Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Divisional Director of the Labor Relations Department of the Ministry of Manpower, the Senior Deputy Director of the Banking Department of Monetary Authority.
The delegation discussed with SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello a range of areas where technical assistance can be provided to East Timor, such as banking and finance, port and airport management, health, environment, civil service and language training.
UNHCR MARCHES AGAINST VIOLENCE
UNHCR staff will march in Dili on Thursday, 21 September, to protest violence against humanitarian aid workers. The march is part of an event taking place the same day around the globe.
Over 200 humanitarian aid workers have been killed and 228 taken hostage or kidnapped in the past eight years.
