CABINET SUPPORTS DRAFT POLICE SERVICE REGULATION

The East Timor Transitional Cabinet today considered the National Council's proposed amendments to the draft regulation establishing the Police Service and agreed to advise the Transitional Administrator Sergio Vieira de Mello to accept the substance of the amendments. The Cabinet recommended, however, that, in the absence of a citizenship law, the criteria for appointment to the Police Service should be as inclusive as possible.

The Cabinet also approved a number of UNDP-sponsored projects, including a project that will provide advisory assistance on foreign relations policy and support for the institutional and human resources development of the Department of Foreign Affairs. The Cabinet also approved a project that will support two important development activities of the National Planning and Development Agency (NPDA), namely a national poverty assessment and the production of a capacity development plan for governance and public sector management. Cabinet also agreed that the NPDA be the principal counterpart to UNDP, in the preparation and global launch of a National Human Development Report for East Timor.

As a related capacity building initiative, Cabinet gave its "in principle" endorsement to the final draft of the Programme Overview of the Capacity Development Plan for Governance and Public Sector Management. This plan will be the means for implementing capacity building in East Timor's public sector.

The Cabinet also endorsed the concept of a countrywide education and consultation campaign to be undertaken post-election on the role on the judiciary and the judicial process. Consultation will now occur on the nature and timing of the campaign. It is proposed that the campaign closely involve East Timorese members of the judiciary, community leaders, local NGOs, and relevant areas of the Transitional Administration, including the Justice Department and the Police.

MORE THAN 173,000 EAST TMORESE INSPECT VOTER LIST

More than 173,000 East Timorese have examined the voter list for the upcoming Constituent Assembly elections ahead of tomorrow evening's public exhibition deadline.

The preliminary voter lists were posted on 16 July in each of East Timor's 65 sub-districts and provide an opportunity for eligible voters who registered with Civil Registration to rectify any data omissions or errors, and to learn of the location of their polling station for the 30 August elections.

More than 19,000 eligible voters have thus far requested claim forms to amend the data on the list. In a statement released last week the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) had warned of the possibility that, due to computer problems following the Civil Registration process, there might be cases in which people have registered but did not appear on the voter list. The IEC therefore reemphasized the critical importance of the public exhibition period.

The IEC has been working on means to ensure that all those eligible are able to vote.

In related news, the IEC yesterday presented representatives of political parties and independent candidates with a copy of the national ballot paper. Those present at the weekly meeting also received information on how to accredit their agents to monitor the electoral process.

Constituent Assembly elections will take place on 30 August 2001. The East Timorese will elect an assembly that will be composed of 88 members, 13 representing each of East Timor?s districts, and the remaining 75 based on a nation-wide proportional representation list.

CANDIDATES PRODUCE ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN MATERIALS

Thirteen political parties and 2 independent candidates have produced campaign materials in conjunction with graphic designers provided by the Political Parties Resource Center in Dili. Some 90 pieces of artwork were produced, including flyers, posters, stickers and flags on sticks.

The majority of these products are now being printed in Darwin, Australia, as printers in East Timor do not possess multi-color printing capabilities. Most of the artwork requested by the political parties and independent candidates includes party symbols, flags, and pictures, which require the use of more than two colors. The number of items requested average between five and ten thousand.

In addition, the Political Parties Resource Center in Dili has to date handed over 15 of the 16 cars allocated to the political parties. The cars allow the political parties to mobilize and take their electoral message to the districts until 28 August, the day the political campaign ends.

Independent candidates have not been allocated cars but are being given priority status on the Political Parties Resource Center shuttle bus that departs Dili each day to the other 12 districts. Two independent candidates and five political parties have so far availed themselves of the service.

There is one Political Parties Resource Center in each of the 13 districts of East Timor.

This UNTAET 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 US$4 million support to the electoral process.