SRSG PRAISES POPULATION FOR PEACEFUL ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN

SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello today praised the East Timorese people for conducting a violence-free electoral campaign, and echoing appeals from the UN Secretary-General and Security Council, urged all East Timorese to exercise their right to vote.

“This [process] may not make headlines, but I’d rather have no headlines and a peaceful election,” he said, adding “the East Timorese people have given us a lesson in democracy, in maturity, and I applaud the people of East Timor.”

Speaking at a press conference in Dili on the final day of the electoral campaign, the SRSG reiterated that everyone must scrupulously respect the outcome of the elections.

In addition, he said that he hoped to announce the new, all-East Timorese Transitional Cabinet on September 15, the same day the newly elected Constituent Assembly will be sworn in, and that he intends to appoint an East Timorese Chief Minister who will take over the running of the day-to-day affairs of the government.

The SRSG’s press conference was held in a brand-new Ministry of Education building that he noted was one of the many burnt to the ground following the 1999 Popular Consultation.

"Never forget what East Timor looked like when we arrived,” he said. “Remember what the Timorese have done.”

Please see below full transcript of SRSG’s speech

RSG AND LEADERS TO VISIT DISTRICT POLLING STATIONS

SRSG Sergio de Mello and other prominent non-contestants in the electoral campaign will visit polling stations in various districts throughout East Timor tomorrow to urge the people to exercise their right to vote for the party of their choice, and to respect the outcome of the process.

Tomorrow is designated as a “cooling-off” day ahead of Thursday’s Constituent Assembly elections during which no political campaigning is permitted.

The SRSG will be accompanied by Cabinet Member for Foreign Affairs José Ramos-Horta and will visit Aileu and Manufahi districts. At the same time, independence leader Xanana Gusmão and Deputy SRSG Dennis McNamara will visit Bobonaro and Oecussi districts.

Approximately 425,000 East Timorese are eligible to vote in the election, which will elect an 88-member Constituent Assembly that will have 90 days to write and adopt a Constitution for an independent and democratic East Timor.

This is a near verbatim transcript of a media briefing given by the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Sergio Vieira de Mello, at the newly reconstructed Ministry of Education in Dili on August 28, 2001.
First of all, a warm welcome to all of you. We haven't seen as many journalists in East Timor for quite a while, I don't think I ever did since my arrival here, so you're all very welcome. It's also a good coincidence that the Cabinet room in the main building is occupied this morning because it gives you an opportunity to visit the new Ministry of Education. And it gives me an opportunity also to request you to never forget where we started from.

A building such as this may give you an impression of normality. Well, it is a hard one, normality. You should have seen this building, and some of you may have seen it, in October 1999. So it's a good coincidence that you are all here, witnessing the rebirth of the public administration in East Timor, the putting in place of new government facilities, structures, staff, for the good of this country and of its people.

A few words first on the election. Today as you know is the last day of the electoral campaign. Some wondered even a few weeks ago whether these elections were at all necessary. Well my reply to them is that 500 years after the first Portuguese landed here is not too soon, is it?

Secondly, it would have been extremely difficult for us to continue to administer East Timor with appointed bodies. Sooner or later, in fact sooner rather than later, the East Timorese would have demanded the opportunity they will have in less than 48 hrs--the opportunity of electing their own representatives through a democratic vote. Therefore, I don't think we could have postponed these elections any further.

Thirdly, we were right in giving the East Timorese the benefit of the doubt. In fact I give them more than that, I give them my confidence. Because even though many prophets of doom predicted violence, predicted blood, predicted clashes between the parties--since politics in this country has in the past as a rule led to violence--the East Timorese people have given us a lesson in democracy, in political maturity, and I applaud the people of East Timor.

This may not make the headlines, but I'd rather have no headlines and peaceful elections, to be quite honest. In particular, I would like to request the East Timorese media to again convey to the East Timorese people my appreciation for the way in which they have behaved. In the assertive way in which they have demanded that the political parties abide by the Pact of National Unity, they have refrained from repeating the mistakes of the past, and their assertiveness has paid off. Political parties have indeed behaved in a remarkably responsible and disciplined manner. But let us remain vigilant in the days to come, not just on election day but also the days that will follow elections, and in particular the days when we start announcing the results of the election.

As you know we will announce them district by district as they become available, and in all likelihood, on the 5th of September, you will be given the unofficial, provisional national results. But then we will have to give 3 or 4 days for political parties and independent candidates to present appeals if they so wish before the final, certified results are issued on the 10th of September.

Secondly, I would like to appeal to the East Timorese to vote in large numbers. I don't think this appeal is necessary, but let me lodge it all the same. I know they will turn out in large numbers, but this is actually an appeal from Secretary-General Kofi Annan and from the Security Council. They have been extending us their fullest support.

Finally I would like to appeal to the people of East Timor and the leadership of the different political parties never to forget their undertaking--the undertaking of respecting scrupulously the outcome of these elections. In any democratic election, some feel happy because they believe they won, but others will feel disappointed because they did not manage as well, they did not reach their expectations. But that is the way it is. In this particular instance, I have appealed to the parties to remember that it is not political parties' narrow political interests that will win these elections, it is the people of East Timor. They will be the winners of this election and nobody else.

And those political parties that feel they could have done better, that they deserved more votes than they got, they can start preparing for the next elections. That's how democracies function. Therefore we expect from all political parties, and obviously from the people of East Timor, that they receive peacefully the outcome of these elections.

Finally, as I said at the beginning: never forget what East Timor looked like when we arrived in passing judgement on whatever we may have achieved, and in particular what the East Timorese people have achieved with our help. Remember what they started from in October 1999.

Thank you.