CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY DEBATE GATHERS SPEED

East Timor's Constituent Assembly appears to be gaining momentum in its deliberations, today passing 12 articles covering a wide range of rights issues.

The increased speed in deliberations - as compared with the assembly's previous passage of, in some cases, just one article a day - reflects a change of procedures and longer working hours agreed upon last week.

Previously members would vote on the title of an article and the wording of each of the sub-paragraphs before taking a vote on the article as a whole. Under the new procedures, members have been taking only one vote on an article and all its sub-paragraphs. The Assembly last week also passed a motion extending the deadline for passing the Constitution from the original 15 December deadline to 25 January.

The articles passed today, mostly by wide majorities, include the following:

Article 20, which deals with East Timorese overseas, provides that such citizens shall enjoy protection by the State for the exercise of their rights The proposed article 21, which was to deal with the rights of foreign citizens in East Timor, was eliminated from the text of the Constitution.

Article 22 provides that the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution shall not exclude any other rights provided for by law and shall be interpreted in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Article 24 provides for the suspension of the exercise of fundamental rights, freedoms and guarantees during a state of siege or a state of emergency, with the exception of the right to life, physical integrity, citizenship, non-retroactivity of criminal law, freedom of conscience and religion, and defense in a criminal case.

Article 27 provides that every citizen has the right to disobey and resist illegal order or orders that affect their fundamental rights, freedoms and guarantees. Article 28 provides that human life is inviolable and the state shall ensure and respect the right to life.

The assembly has now passed 31 of the draft Constitution's 151 articles.

AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE MINISTER TO PAY TWO-DAY VISIT

Australia's Minister of Defense, Senator Robert Hill, will arrive in East Timor on Thursday for a two-day visit.

Hill will be traveling to Sector West to meet with members of the Australian battalion, and in Dili will meet Chief Minister Mari Alkatiri, Acting SRSG Dennis McNamara, and the Commander of the East Timor Defense Force, Taur Matan Ruak.