Mr. Ueki informed correspondents that all ballot boxes had arrived at the counting centre in Dili by yesterday afternoon. The reconciliation count, which will match the number of ballots cast to the number of people who voted, started at 6:00 a.m. today. Media will be able to observe this process for a brief period during the course of the day.
Yesterday afternoon, the East Timorese Consultative Commission was formally established with 25 members and two honorary advisers, Monsignor Carlos Ximenes Belo and Monsignor Basilio do Nascimento. (A list of the members was made available at the briefing).
Additional military liaison officers, 27 in all (18 from Pakistan and 8 from Australia), arrived in Dili this morning. Eventually, the number of MLOs will be increased from the original strength of 50 to 300.
Yesterday, the repatriation of District Electoral Officers began with 57 leaving Dili for Darwin. Today, two more groups will be departing for Darwin – 58 this morning and 60 this afternoon. Tomorrow and the day after, another 135 DEOs will be leaving. In four days time, 340 DEOs will have left East Timor.
A correspondent asked if UNAMET had any information on killings in Hera last night. Mr. Ueki said gunshots were reported although he could not confirm any deaths at this time.
A correspondent asked the Deputy Spokesman if he could provide any more details on the reported killings in Gleno (Ermera region). He said yesterday UNAMET sent an investigative team and a high-level delegation including UNAMET’s Civilian Police Commissioner, Alan Mills, to Ermera. They were unable to reach the crime scene in Atsabe where a local staff member was killed on Monday evening. There are still two UNAMET local staff members unaccounted for, he said. Today, another UNAMET team was going to the area and hoped to be able to provide more information on this case.
A correspondent asked what prevented the UNAMET team from reaching the crime scene yesterday. Mr. Ueki said there was a lot of militia activity in the area and the local authorities were unable to take the team to the site.
A correspondent asked what the composition of the Consultative Commission was in terms of pro-independence and pro-autonomy members and what their schedule was today. The Deputy Spokesman said ten members were nominated by the pro-independence group – CNRT – and ten members were nominated by the United Front for East Timor Autonomy - UNIF. The additional five members were appointed by the UN Secretary-General in consultation with the governments of Indonesia and Portugal. UNAMET expected the Commission to meet next in about a week, he said, but not today.
A correspondent asked how the ballot boxes from the Ermera region made it to Dili after the difficulties in that region. Mr. Ueki said the ballot boxes from Ermera were the last to arrive in Dili. As the helicopter landed in Ermera yesterday to pick up the boxes, he said, a group of militia threw rocks and fired shots in the air. The helicopter then took off again before collecting the ballot boxes. The boxes were taken to another landing site in Ermera where they were later picked up by helicopter and brought back to Dili.
A correspondent asked if the Baucau agreement, reached by the two sides on the eve of the ballot, was now invalid due to increased militia activity. The Deputy Spokesman said the agreement was supported by both sides as well as the Indonesian police and the TNI (Indonesian armed forces). He said UNAMET urges all the parties to abide by the agreement. The Indonesian police gave full support to the agreement and committed themselves to arresting anyone outside of cantonment sites carrying weapons.
In response to a question, Mr. Ueki said yesterday’s meeting included members of UNIF. He added, despite the absence of some members from both sides, the Commission was formally established.
A correspondent asked which other members of the Consultative Commission, apart from Xanana Gusmao, did not turn up at the reconciliation meeting yesterday. The Deputy Spokesman said that although six members attended together, both UNIF and CNRT were represented. Leandro Isaac, even though he is not a member, represented those members of CNRT who could not attend.
A correspondent asked if Basilio Araujo [an FPDK leader] had confirmed that he wanted to be on the Consultative Commission. Mr. Ueki said a communication may have been received by UNAMET, but he did not have details.
A correspondent asked if UNAMET was pleased with the way the Indonesian police handled the standoff in Ermera yesterday and if UNAMET was taking any added security measures. The Deputy Spokesman said that after 10:00 p.m. last night UNAMET had advised its staff in Dili not to go out. In Ermera, the local law enforcement authorities were unable to maintain law and order. However, he added, the Indonesian police were able to escort all UNAMET staff safely back from Ermera last night.
A correspondent asked if the reported presence of Indonesian police at the roadblock in Ermera last night reflected their unwillingness to solve the problem or their inability to do so. Mr. Ueki said UNAMET felt the Indonesian police were unable to perform their functions in Ermera.
A correspondent asked why UNAMET had not condemned the Indonesian police for their failure to carry through with the agreement and for acts of violence in which they allegedly took part. On polling day, Mr. Ueki said, the fact that there was an overwhelming number of people who came to vote showed that the Indonesian police performed their functions. Since then, he added, some details came to light, particularly about the Indonesian police’s role in Ermera, and UNAMET was dissatisfied with their performance. UNAMET continues to urge the Indonesian authorities to fulfill their commitment.
A correspondent then asked the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Carlos Valenzuela when the results of the ballot would be announced. To explain the timing of the process he offered a step by step explanation. The reception of the ballot boxes finished yesterday and the reconciliation stage began this morning at 6:00 a.m. and should last until tomorrow. Once this reconciliation counting, or verification of the ballots, ends, the actual counting of the ballots will begin. The counting, he said, will be done after all the ballots are emptied out of the boxes and mixed collectively. Once mixed, the ballots will be distributed to the counting teams and then counted. The reconciliation count will take two days and the actual count will take up to two days. From there, he added, the results will have to be verified by the Independent Electoral Commission and then the Secretary-General will announce the results.
A correspondent asked about the groups who will be accredited to observe the count and whether they will be able to challenge the results. Mr. Valenzuela said the whole system has been designed to allow the maximum transparency through the presence of observers. Close to 3,000 observers have been accredited. Each group, accredited by UNAMET, will be allowed to have one person present in the count at a time. They will be allowed to rotate staff. The official observers from Indonesia and Portugal, he added, will be able to have three observers present at the counting centre. The observers are able to file any complaint to UNAMET and to the Electoral Commission but they do not have the right to intervene or disrupt the process.
A correspondent asked what security arrangements were in place for the counting centre. Mr. Valenzuela said UNAMET has made arrangements with the Indonesian police to provide security. In addition, UNAMET CivPol and security personnel are manning the counting centre 24 hours a day.
A correspondent asked Mr. Ueki if he had any information on three Australian activists who were arrested in Suai. He said the three in question were found to have entered the Territory on tourist visas and that they seemed to have been involved in some ballot paper transaction. The ballot papers they were carrying turned out to be samples. They were dealt with by the local police in Suai and then taken to Dili by the Indonesian police.
