JORDANIAN CIVILIAN POLICE INDICTED ON RAPE CHARGES

A Civilian Police Officer was indicted by the office of the East Timor Prosecutor General on Tuesday 21 August suspected of raping an East Timorese woman.

The suspect was arrested on 5 July, following an alleged incident that took place at a Dili hotel.

The suspect has been in detention since the arrest. The trial is expected to take place at the Dili District Court very soon as the prosecutors have asked for an expedited hearing on the case.

TVTL SPONSORS FINAL NATIONAL DEBATE, SRSG TO SPEAK

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General Sergio Vieira de Mello will tomorrow deliver a speech to open the third and final election debate in Dili. All sixteen political parties as well as all the national independent candidates have been invited to participate in the debate, organized by the UNTAET-run TV Timor Lorosa’e.

The event, moderated by Cabinet Member for Foreign Affairs José Ramos-Horta, will consist of three sessions. After the SRSG’s speech, the candidates will discuss issues put to them by the moderator. In the second session, the audience will put questions directly to the participants. And in the third session, Xanana Gusmão will give a speech and take questions from media and the audience.

“We expect a very substantial debate,” said event coordinator Evliana Berani, TVTL Civic Education Officer. “It will have a double effect for civic education, because people can be informed and also contribute.” The event begins at 9.00 am at the Dili Gymnasium and is expected to draw a large crowd.

Also tomorrow, Peter Galbraith will hold a press conference on the current status of Timor Gap negotiations. Galbraith is former Cabinet Member for Political Affairs and Timor Sea and is currently one of the chief negotiators on Timor Sea issues. The conference will be at 2pm at the UNTAET auditorium.

COUNCIL, SECRETARY-GENERAL, VOICE SUPPORT FOR ELECTION

United Nations Security Council members yesterday voiced their support to the ongoing electoral campaign in East Timor, echoing the sentiments of Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who earlier this week had urged a large voter turn-out for the 30 August elections.

“Speakers encouraged a continued spirit of peace, democracy and tolerance throughout the electoral process and beyond,” Ambassador Alfonso Valdivieso of Colombia, the 15-member body's current president, said in a communiqué issued after the Council had held a private meeting in its chambers to discuss the situation in East Timor. In additional to Council members, representatives of 17 countries who had requested to participate also took part in the meeting without the right to vote. The speakers also expressed their belief that the peaceful conduct of the elections would be “a major step towards East Timor's independence,” the statement said.

The Council was briefed by UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hédi Annabi, who noted that the electoral campaign so far had been conducted in a peaceful manner and that Timorese parties and the population in general had shown strong support for the Pact of National Unity.

Earlier, Secretary-General Kofi Annan issued a video message urging the Timorese people to exercise their right and responsibility to vote, and assuring them that the United Nations and its agencies were supporting their “heroic efforts” to rebuild their lives.

“A spirit of peace and tolerance has marked the election campaign,” Mr Annan said in the 21 August message. “You have clearly embraced the democratic process with great integrity and zeal… I also hope you will tell your families, friends and neighbours to vote. All your voices must be heard,” he said.