THREE CABINET MEMBERS STEP DOWN
TO STAND AS CANDIDATES

Cabinet Member for Infrastructure João Carrascalão today was the last member to step down from the Transitional Cabinet in order to stand as a candidate in the upcoming Constituent Assembly elections of 30 August. This follows similar decisions made last week by Cabinet Member for Internal Administration Ana Pessoa and Cabinet Member for Economic Affairs Mari Alkatiri. The moves are part of a long agreed process of political transition. They are intended to promote the fairness of the electoral process by ensuring that Cabinet Members appointed by the Transitional Administrator did not enjoy a position of advantage during the campaign.

Ovídio de Jesus Amaral, Director of Telecommunications, was today appointed to replace João Carrascalão until the formation of the new Transitional Cabinet, which will be appointed after the Constituent Assembly elections. The size of the new Transitional Cabinet will be expanded to more closely reflect the structure of an independent government and will be solely comprised of East Timorese. The Cabinet portfolio for Political Affairs was dissolved today with the departure from UNTAET of the Cabinet Member for Political Affairs and Timor Sea, Peter Galbraith. The ministerial portfolio is being transformed into a Political Office; an office to support the Constituent Assembly; and a Timor Sea Office. The Transitional Cabinet currently consists of eight members, three international and five East Timorese.

NATIONAL COUNCIL DISSOLVED AFTER NINE-MONTH SESSION

East Timor’s National Council was formally dissolved on Saturday, 14 July, after nine months of session, hundreds of hours of debate and the approval of 28 legislative acts. Before its dissolution the Council referred eight draft regulations to SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello which, due to time constraints, it had been unable to consider. The SRSG must now determine whether or not to promulgate these regulations before the new Constituent Assembly is formed by 15 September. The SRSG on Saturday commended the members of the National Council for their dedication and for having considered 28 pieces of legislation in detail, including 12 during the past four weeks, and for having taken the initiative on two occasions to develop its own legislation. “The work of the National Council will have a long-lasting impact upon East Timor. For it was here that regulations on the Budget for this fiscal year; the East Timor Defence Force; the East Timor Police Service; the Reception, Truth and Reconciliation Commission; a Prison Service; and a Legal Aid Service were all considered in great detail, amended and then approved by you,” the SRSG said at the ceremony. The National Council Hall will now be rehabilitated to accommodate the future Constituent Assembly, with work beginning this Wednesday.

REGULATIONS SIGNED ON RECONCILIATION AND ELECTIONS

SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello late last Friday promulgated a regulation establishing a Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation. The Commission will undertake two primary functions: it will establish a truth-seeking function inquiring into the pattern of human rights violations in East Timor committed within the context of the political conflicts between 1974-1999. The commission will also create a community reconciliation body to facilitate agreements between local communities and the perpetrators of non-serious crimes and non-criminal acts committed over the same period. The regulation stipulates that there can be no further civil or criminal liability for those who comply with the conditions of the Commission. The National Council Special Committee that reviewed the regulation last month said it considered it to be “an important step in addressing the last 26 years of East Timor’s history and contributing to peace in Timorese society.” The National Council approved the regulation on 20 June.

The Commission will create a fast, community based mechanism to deal with less serious crimes committed in 1999, thus freeing up East Timor’s criminal justice system to concentrate their limited resources on those perpetrators responsible for the most serious crimes. The Commission is to operate for two years, with a possible six-month extension of operations, and is expected to begin work in September or October of this year. It will consist of 5-7 National Commissioners, and 25-30 Regional Commissioners. The SRSG late last Friday also promulgated a regulation on Electoral Offences for the upcoming election of a Constituent Assembly. The regulation sets out basic electoral offences that will deter electoral fraud and help ensure the credibility of the 30 August elections. The regulation describes a range of offences that include the disturbance of proceedings and obstruction of electoral officers; the use of undue influence and bribes to influence voters and candidates; the disruption of voting procedures and interference with the vote count, and incitement to violence. For serious offences, which include offences by electoral officials and incitement to violence, the regulation prescribes a term of imprisonment of up to five years, or a fine of up to US$5,000. Minor offences, including public order offences, have an applicable maximum term of one year’s imprisonment or a fine of US$1,000. The National Council approved the regulation on 4 July.

UNTAET TO BEGIN BROADCASTING POLITICAL PARTY MESSAGES

UNTAET Radio and Television units were this evening preparing to broadcast campaign messages recorded by political parties and independent candidates over the weekend. The broadcast, scheduled for 9 p.m., is part of a broad range of initiatives being taken by UNTAET media to afford equal access to political parties and independent candidates registered in the 30 August Constituent Assembly elections. The segment will be broadcast for a total of 17.5 hours over the rest of this week, both during the day and during prime-time slots.

Four political parties ( KOTA, APODETI, PPT and UDC/PDC ) and three national Independent Candidates recorded their slots last Saturday, followed by seven political parties ( PNT, PL, PST, PDM, PDC, UDT and PTT) and one independent candidate on Sunday. Throughout the political campaign – which ends August 28 – political parties and independent candidates will be able to record new slots each weekend to be aired the following week. Each political party is allotted five minutes in which to present their political agenda, and each independent candidate is allotted 2.5 minutes.

NEW CHIEF MILITARY OBSERVER ASSUMES UNTAET DUTY

Major General Sergio Rosario on Friday assumed his duties as the United Nation’s new Chief Military Observer in East Timor. The Major General, from Brazil, replaced Brigadier Lou Gardiner, who recently returned to New Zealand. Mr. Rosario will lead the Military Observer Group for the next 12 months. There are currently more than 150 Military Observers from 25 countries serving in East Timor. The Military Observer Group is a neutral, unarmed force, that, among other roles, serves as a liaison between the Indonesian military and Peacekeeping forces along the border separating East Timor and West Timor.