FIRST RESULTS ANNOUNCED IN CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY POLLS

The Independent Electoral Commission today announced the final, yet-to-be-certified results from the 30 August Constituent Assembly elections. District and national results were announced for five districts, as well as the district representative for Lautem.

All the district representatives provisionally elected thus far are representatives of the Fretilin party. The national result so far is briefly described below:

In National Representative elections in Covalima district, Fretilin received 61.4 % of the vote. The Partido Democrático (PD) received 18.6 %. The Partido Social Democrata (PSD) received 6.1 %, and the Associação Social-Democrata Timorense (ASDT) received 4.6 %. The other parties and independent national candidates each received less than 2% of the vote.

In National Representative elections in Aileu district, the Associação Social-Democrata Timorense (ASDT) received 52.3 % of the vote. Fretilin received 21.1 %. The Partido Socialista de Timor (PST) received 5.6 %, and the Partido Democrático (PD) received 5.2 %. The other parties and independent national candidates each received less than 3% of the vote.

In National Representative elections in Ainaro district, Fretilin received 27.5 % of the vote. The Associação Social-Democrata Timorense (ASDT) received 15 %, the Partido do Povo de Timor (PPT) received 14 % of the vote; and the Partido Democrático (PD) received 8 %. The other parties and independent national candidates each received less than seven percent of the vote.

In National Representative elections in Liquiça district, Fretilin received 72 % of the vote. The Partido Social Democráta (PSD) received 4.9 %, The Partido Democrático (PD) received 3.9 %, and the Partido Socialista de Timor (PST) received 3.6 %. The other parties and independent national candidates each received less than 3 % of the vote.

In National Representative elections in Manatuto district, Fretilin received 47.5 % of the vote. The Associação Social-Democrãta Timorense (ASDT) received 11.6 %, the Partido Democrático (PD) received 11%, and the Partido Socialista de Timor (PST) received 5.8 %. The other parties and independent national candidates each received less than 6 % of the vote.

The provisionally elected district representatives are: Armindo da C. Silva, Lautem; Gervásio C. de J. da Silva, Covalima; Alfredo (one name), Aileu; Mário Ferreira, Ainaro; Joaquim Soares, Liquiça; and Flávio Maria Guterres da Silva, Manatuto.

Voters electing the 88-member Constituent Assembly used two ballot papers. They chose one representative for their district and also, separately, a national

representative. The 75 national seats in the Constituent Assembly will be awarded proportionally to parties and/or independent candidates after the Independent Electoral Commission tallies the entire national vote. The election results will only be certified on 10 September after a period where parties and candidates may challenge the results.

SRSG PRAISES EAST TIMORESE FOR ELECTORAL TURNOUT

SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello today appeared on broadcasts on UNTAET radio and television in which he praised the East Timorese for turning out to vote in such numbers, and reiterated his call for universal respect for the results of the election.

The transcript of his message is as follows:

"I would like to congratulate you all for the dedication, enthusiasm, and dignity you demonstrated in turning out to vote in such massive numbers on election day.

As you know, the vote-counting process is now underway. The counting will take time because the Independent Electoral Commission is checking, checking, and checking again to make sure that every one of your votes is properly and accurately counted. So, I ask for your patience. Almost 2,000 national and international observers watched you vote and continue to observe the process to ensure its integrity. They are confident that the process was properly conducted, and I share that view. The final results will be an accurate reflection of the important choices that you have made.

Before election day you demanded that the political parties abide by the Pact of National Unity, and they did. In the coming days, it is your absolute right - and your duty - to demand that they continue to do so by respecting the election results. I have every faith that they will continue to do so. You have waited so long and suffered so much to reach this historic moment. There must be no turning back.

This is your political process, and the final results will reflect your aspirations. Along with Secretary-General Kofi Annan, I commend the political maturity and commitment you have shown and which has been praised by the world. As the Secretary-General said, you have set a glowing example for others to aspire to. The time has now come to move forward, together as one, with the important work that lies ahead."