CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY ELECTION COUNT NEARS COMPLETION

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) today announced the final, yet-to-be-certified national representative results from the East Timorese districts of Manufahi and Baucau following the 30 August Constituent Assembly elections. District representative results were also announced for Manafui, Baucau, and Ermera, completing the results for 12 of East Timor's 13 districts.

The IEC's Chief Electoral Officer Carlos Valanzuela said that final district and national results for the last remaining district, Dili, will be announced tomorrow morning. Then another press conference will be held to announce the final yet-to-be-certified results and seat allocations for the 88-member Constituent Assembly. That press conference will follow a meeting between representatives of political parties and the IEC to discuss the seat allocation formula for the Constituent Assembly.

The final voter turnout was also announced today. Altogether, 384,227 voters, or 91.3 percent of those eligible, went to the polls on 30 August. "It's an excellent turnout rate, and once again we want to congratulate the people of East Timor for having come massively to cast their vote," Valanzuela said. The district with the highest voter turnout was Ermera, with 94.2 %. The lowest turnout was in Dili district, with 87.9 %.

Today's national representative results are briefly described below:

In National Representative elections in Manufahi district, Fretilin received 54.5 % of the vote. The Associação Social-Democrata Timorense (ASDT) received 21.9 %. Partido Democrático (PD) received 4.6 %, and the Partido Social Democrata (PSD) received 3.5 %. The other parties and independent national candidates each received less than 3 percent of the vote.

In National Representative elections in Baucau district, Fretilin received 81.9 % of the vote. The Partido Social Democrata (PSD) received 3.5 %, the Partido Nasionalista Timorense (PNT) received 3 %, and the Partido Democrático (PD) received 2.4 %. The other parties and independent national candidates each received less than 2 % of the vote.

The provisionally elected district representatives announced today, all of whom represent the Fretilin party, are: Elias Freitas, for Baucau; José Soares, for Ermera; and Arão Amaral, for Manufahi.

Voters electing the 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 in which parties and candidates may challenge the results.

2,000 REFUGEES SCHEDULED TO RETURN FROM WEST TIMOR

UNTAET's Chief of Staff N. Parameswaran is currently in Kupang in Indonesian West Timor finalizing arrangements for what is hoped will be the return of an estimated 2,000 refugees from West Timor back to their homes in East Timor's Ainaro district next week.

The Chief of Staff is conducting negotiations with Câncio Lopes de Carvalho, former commander of the Mahidi militia group in Ainaro district, and his brothers Nemésio and Francisco. The talks are a follow-up to a 7 July border meeting led by Xanana Gusmão with the Ainaro leaders.

The refugees are scheduled to cross the border at Junction Point Foxtrot on 12 September. Gusmão is expected to be present, along with the Indonesian regional military commander, Maj Gen William da Costa.

Parameswaran is also holding meetings with former pro-autonomy leader Helio Caetano regarding his scheduled 19 September return to Covalima district along with another group of refugees. This is a follow-up to a 7 August border meeting in Salele between Gusmão and Covalima elders with leaders of the Covalima refugees. The number of returnees scheduled to return in this group is not yet known.

Over the next few days the Chief of Staff will also be continuing discussions with political and militia/pro-autonomy/pro-integration leaders with a view to promoting reconciliation and negotiating further refugee returns.

Parameswaran is continues to work in close consultation with Gusmão and other East Timorese local and national leaders, as well as with the East Timorese Serious Crimes Unit. As in the past, the Chief of Staff is only conducting negotiations with those refugees not under indictment for serious crimes.