UNTAET TO AIR NEW ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN MESSAGESUNTAET Radio and Television units will tonight begin broadcasting a second batch of campaign messages recorded by political parties and independent candidates over the weekend.
The broadcast, which was produced by an Independent Producer, 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.
This week's broadcast will feature campaign slots by eighteen political party and independent candidates, and will be aired both during the day and during prime-time slots throughout this week. All political parties and independent candidates will have the opportunity to record new campaign slots this coming weekend which will be broadcast next week.
In a related development, the Partido Social Democrata Timor Lorosa?e (PSD), declined to participate in a half-hour "Meet the Press" segment today that would have given the party an opportunity to outline its policies and visions. Over the weekend, PSD made public through the media that it will not accept UNTAET assistance package to the political parties.
A "Meet the Press" segment featuring the Partido Democrata Cristão (PDC) is scheduled to be recorded tomorrow. Each political party or group of independent candidates will have the opportunity to appear on a "Meet the Press" segment during the political campaign.
RESOURCE CENTER DONATES CARS TO ELECTORAL CANDIDATES
The Political Resource Center in Dili today handed over 13 of the 16 allocated cars to the political parties registered in the upcoming 30 August Constituent Assembly elections.
The cars will allow the political parties to mobilize and take their electoral message to the districts until August 28, the day the political campaign ends. Independent candidates have not been allocated cars but are being given priority status on a Political Resource Center shuttle bus that departs Dili each day to the other 12 districts.
Three political parties -- Partido Social Democrata Timor Lorosa'e (PSD), Fretilin, and Parentil -- did not take possession of their allocated vehicles today.
The support to political parties provides in-kind assistance, such as graphic designs, the printing of campaign materials and transportation, to the 16 registered political parties and independent candidates at the national and district level. This assistance package is funded primarily by donor support channeled through the UNDP for its programme of assistance to the political parties. This is separate from UNDP's US$4million support to the electoral process.
Other resources being provided to political parties and independent candidates include air transport to the enclave of Oecussi, Atauro island, and Darwin; telephone communications from the Political Resource Center in Dili and in the districts; graphic design support; computers and internet access; photocopying and regular access to UNTAET media.