East Timor may be ready for elections in autumn of 2001, Security Council told
27 June -- The head of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) today predicted that the newly independent territory would be ready for elections - and possibly independence - during the last four months of 2001.
Briefing the Security Council in New York, UNTAET chief Sergio Vieira de Mello said that two components were needed for the transition from the current UN-led administration to an East Timorese-run government: democratic elections and a political culture in which Timorese leaders took responsibility for their actions.
According to Mr. Vieira de Mello, UNTAET and the East Timorese had come to the realization that the road to full independence required more than the UN helping to design institutions and recruit administrators. "[T]he East Timorese should not only staff the administration and government but also take political responsibility for it," he said, adding that he felt "safe" in predicting that elections - and possibly independence - would take place between the end of August and December 2001.
Regarding the mission's mandate, the UNTAET chief said that "words were not enough" to describe the challenges faced day by day, and that the UN was poorly equipped to meet some of them. Despite the availability of funds, weaknesses in UN budget practices prohibited the mission from constructing border control posts, or refurbishing prisons or courts, for example. He stressed that UNTAET must be given the authority to use its budget as flexibly as necessary.
Mr. Vieira de Mello's briefing was followed by an extended debate in which representatives of more than 20 Member States took part.
The representative of Indonesia, Teuku Mohammad Hamzah Thayeb, said he was "dismayed" by the recent incidents that led to the suspension of activities by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at refugee camps in West Timor, where the agency's personnel were threatened with machetes and held in a standoff for several hours. He said that Indonesia shared the view that threats could not be condoned under any circumstances, but that
Speaking on behalf of the European Union and other countries, Antonio Monteiro of Portugal reaffirmed the Union's solidarity with the people of East Timor. He urged the UN Secretariat and UNTAET to help overcome barriers to disbursement and stressed the need to reinforce coordination efforts within the UN system with UNTAET, the World Bank and non-governmental organizations working in East Timor.
The Union also strongly supported efforts to accelerate the "timorization" of the transitional administration, he said, adding that it was essential to involve the East Timorese -- including women and youth -- in the policy-making structure at a higher level during the transition period.
