ICRC HOSPITAL TO BE HANDED OVER TO ETTA

The Dili hospital, currently under the management of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), will be handed over to the East Timor Transitional Administration on 1 July. Seven specialist doctors are needed to work at the hospital to maintain the current level of services. The 2001-2002 East Timor budget will cover the funding for these specialists, who are expected to take up their positions on 1 July and sign one year contracts. The doctors have already been selected. Based on a preliminary survey of specialized care, there will be a need for visiting specialists, such as orthopedics, pediatric surgeons and urologists, in addition to the ophthalmologist and rehabilitation surgeon currently in place.

SENIOR HEALTH STAFF TO BE SWORN-IN

The first 19 East Timorese Senior Civil Servants of the Division of Health of the East Timor Transitional Administration will be sworn-in on 7 June by SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello. The ceremony will be attended by Cabinet Member for Social Affairs Fr. Filomeno Jacob and Senior Health Advisor Jim Tullock, among others. Rui Maria de Araújo will be sworn-in as head of the Division of Health Services of ETTA and Rui Paulo de Jesus as Deputy Head. This is the second large swearing-in ceremony of senior staff within ETTA departments this year, after the Education Division ceremony in last month.

CABINET SYSTEM TRAINING PROGRAM

Forty East Timorese senior staff from all departments of the East Timor Transitional Administration are currently taking part in a training program on the cabinet system. The goals of the program, which ends on Friday, are to create an understanding of the fundamental principles of a cabinet system and the relationship between different branches of government. The training also aims at creating an understanding of the role and functions of the cabinet secretariat, government policy and legislation development. The department staff will study cabinet decision-making, principles and procedures, function of the cabinet secretariat, impartiality of the secretariat in decision-making, policy submissions and regulations, among other things. The weeklong training is conducted by the Office of the East Timor Transitional Cabinet Secretariat and the Cabinet Secretariat of New Zealand Government.

MR. RAMOS-HORTA VISITS AUSTRALIA

Cabinet Member for Foreign Affairs José Ramos-Horta is leaving for Canberra, Australia, for a one-day official visit on 7 June. He will meet the Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer, the Minister for Defence Peter Reith, the Minister for Industry, Science and Resources Senator Nick Michin, the Minister for Immigration Philip Ruddock and the Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs David Kemp.

OVER 615,000 EAST TIMORESE REGISTERED

Seventy-six per cent of the estimated East Timorese population – more than 615,000 people – have been registered by UNTAET’s Civil Registration Unit as of yesterday, 4 June. Only three districts have registered less than 70 per cent of its population. Ermera, Manatuto, Lospalos, Ainaro and Suai districts have registered over 80 per cent and Same district has registered 91 per cent of the population. Seventy-three per cent of Dili has registered. The capital has 17 registration sites operating, many of them mobile sites.

ASDT AND PSD APPLY FOR PARTY REGISTRATION

Two parties, Associação Social-Democrata Timorense (ASDT) and Partido Social Democrata (PSD) submitted applications for registration to the Independent Electoral Commission today, 5 June in order to present candidates to the elections for the Constituent Assembly. So far, twelve parties have submitted an application and two have received their official registration certificate. All party registration applications are available for public inspection at the Independent Electoral Commission headquarters in Dili for two weeks after having been submitted. Any person eligible to vote who has documents to support their claim may file an objection to an application. The objection can be based only on the premise that the items in the application are deficient or inaccurate, and must be supported by documentary evidence.