INDEPENDENT PANEL CREATED TO MEDIATE MEDIA DISPUTES

An independent Media Mediation Panel has been created to assist East Timorese political parties and independent candidates in any disputes that may arise from UNTAET’s media coverage of the 30 August Constituent Assembly elections.

The panel, established by the UNDP in cooperation with UNTAET, is comprised of three independent observers and is empowered to evaluate complaints regarding UNTAET radio, television and print coverage of the political campaign. The panel functions independently of UNTAET and has the authority to quickly evaluate disputes through analysis of media coverage and to suggest courses of action to redress any imbalances.

Over the past two weeks UNTAET’s Radio and Television units have been broadcasting campaign messages recorded by political parties and independent candidates that are produced by an independent producer. Among other initiatives is a special half-hour daily program entitled “Meet the Press,” in which each political party and all independent national candidates have been given the opportunity to discuss their policies and visions for East Timor.

In related news, UNTAET’s Office of Communication and Public Information today received 4,000 wind-up radios from the Australian Government as part of its development cooperation program with East Timor. The objective of the donation is to contribute to the widespread public dissemination of civic and voter education messages in the lead-up to the August election and beyond.

The radios will be distributed to all of East Timor’s 13 districts and provided to community groups, schools and other centers to ensure the maximum number of people have access to them.

In addition, UNTAET’s District Public Information Officers (DPIO) will tomorrow receive a donation of equipment from the Japanese Government as part of its official development assistance to UNTAET. The equipment – which includes laptop computers, projectors, digital cameras, sound systems and generators – will be delivered to the DPIO’s at a day-long workshop session in Dili.