CONSTITUTIONAL COMMISSIONERS DEPLOYED IN SUB-DISTRICTS

The Constitutional Commission members, tasked with conveying the views of the population to the Constituent Assembly by organizing public hearings in each of the 65 sub-districts of East Timor, were deployed in their respective sub-districts today. Each Commission will consist of between five and seven Commissioners, one Rapporteur, tasked with the recording of the information and preparing a report to the Transitional Administrator, and one Constitutional Advisor, who will answer questions by members of the Commission, provide analysis and answers raised by participants at the consultation. The 72 East Timorese Constitutional Commissioners, 13 Advisors and 13 Rapporteurs were sworn-in on 26 May by Acting Transitional Administrator Jean-Christian Cady and have since undergone training on constitutional issues. The Commissioners, chosen by an all-Timorese panel based on lists sent by each district, are now undergoing a preparatory phase in their sub-districts. The public hearings are expected to begin on 18 June and end on 14 July.