[Kabar-indonesia] Gusmao Threatens to Quit as Alkatiri Refuses to Budge

[JoyoNews at aol.com]

also: East Timor PM Says He Won't Step Down - News Agency;
and The Age: Gusmao in threat to resign

Agence France-Presse
June 22, 2006

East Timor's President Xanana Gusmao threatens resignation
 
East Timor's President Xanana Gusmao said he would submit his resignation to 
parliament unless the prime minister took responsibility for a crisis gripping 
the nation for weeks.

The popular and charismatic former guerrilla leader was elected president in 
2002 and had this week demanded by letter that Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri 
resign amid allegations he had given the nod for his opponents to be killed.

But Alkatiri has refused to budge and his ruling Fretilin party -- the 
political wing of the guerrilla movement Gusmao headed during Indonesia's 24-year 
occupation -- rallied to his side on Thursday.

Gusmao addressed the nation by television and radio for nearly two hours.

"Fretilin has to choose, ask Mari Alkatiri to take responsibility for the 
major crisis, about the sacrifices of the state, the law and democracy," he said.

"Or, tomorrow, I will send a letter to parliament to inform them that I will 
resign from being president of the republic because I am ashamed of all the 
bad things that have happened, on behalf of the state to its people," he said.

Gusmao said that he did "not have the courage to look into the faces of the 
people."

In remarks to Portugal's LUSA news agency, Alkatiri however said he would not 
step down and that Fretilin "was doing everything to control its militants" 
who wanted to mobilize a pro-government demonstration in Dili.

"No way," he said when asked if he intended to step down, adding, "It would 
make things even more complicated."

Earlier in the speech, Gusmao ordered the ruling party to choose a new prime 
minister, saying Alkatiri and other top Fretilin leaders had no legitimacy.

"As president I do not accept the results of the Second Congress of 
Fretilin," he said, referring to their meeting in May during which Alkatiri was 
re-elected as secretary-general of the party.

"So I am giving a one-week deadline for them to hold an extraordinary 
congress to choose again the president (of the party) and prime minister."

He said the three top leaders of Fretilin, including Alkatiri were "not 
legitimate."

Just minutes after Gusmao's address Australian-led multinational forces set 
up road blocks and fanned out in the city in trucks and tanks. Hundreds of 
anti-Alkatiri protesters earlier rallied in the streets for the third day running, 
demanding his ouster.

East Timor became embroiled in violence last month as troops and police 
fought among themselves and the streets of the capital Dili were rocked by gang 
warfare. Twenty-one people were killed, 145,000 terrified residents fled their 
homes and international peacekeepers flew in.

Alkatiri had huddled with senior members of his party Thursday. The party 
later said in a formal statement that it rejected "all kinds of political 
persecution against its leaders."

Gusmao wrote to Alkatiri on Tuesday demanding his resignation, saying he had 
lost confidence in him after seeing an Australian television documentary 
making "serious accusations" that had shocked him.

It purportedly showed evidence that Alkatiri's sacked interior minister 
Rogerio Lobato had armed hitmen to assassinate their opponents at the prime 
minister's behest.

"There is nothing left for me to do except give you the choice: either you 
resign, or, after hearing the State Council, I will fire you, because you no 
longer deserve my confidence," Gusmao said.

Lobato, who stands accused of distributing the weapons at his premier's 
request, was questioned Thursday after a warrant was issued for his arrest earlier 
in the week.

Dili's prosecutor-general Longuinhos Monteiro said Lobato was being charged 
with "distributing state weapons to civilians, attempted revolution, 
conspiracy, and action with criminals." He faces up to 15 years' imprisonment.

But Monteiro said it was "too early" to know whether Alkatiri would also be 
charged. "I don't see it now," he told reporters.

UN officials are working with the prosecutor-general on a probe into the 
violence, which came after Alkatiri in March sacked some 600 soldiers who had 
complained of discrimination.

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East Timor PM Says He Won't Step Down - News Agency

DILI, East Timor, June 22 (AP)--East Timor Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri said 
Thursday that he won't resign his post, according to a news report. 

"I will not resign, at all," Alkatiri told the Portuguese news agency Lusa in 
a phone interview. "The situation is so complicated that a hasty decision 
could further complicate things." 

President Xanana Gusmao on Thursday threatened to resign after the 
beleaguered prime minister refused to step down, deepening a political crisis in the 
tiny nation following weeks of bloody street battles. 

"Tomorrow I will write a letter to Parliament to inform them that I'm 
resigning as the president of the republic because I'm embarrassed about all the bad 
things the state has done to the people," Gusmao said in a 90-minute address 
to the nation. 

Many East Timorese say Alkatiri decision to fire 600 disgruntled soldiers in 
March was to blame for clashes and gang warfare in the capital that left at 
least 30 people dead and sent nearly 150,000 people fleeing from their homes. 

The violence was the worst to hit the tiny Asian nation since it voted for 
independence from Indonesia seven years ago, though tensions have eased in 
recent weeks with the arrival of a 2,700-strong foreign peacekeeping force. 

Gusmao wrote a letter to Alkatiri on Wednesday saying he no longer had the 
trust of the people and demanding he resign or be fired. 

That sparked emergency talks between the prime minister and members of his 
Fretilin party, which controls 55 of the 88 seats in the country's Parliament. 
They emerged hours later vowing to stand by their beleaguered leader. 

Gusmao accused Fretilin of creating instability and ordered the party to 
replace Alkatiri as its leader - though it wasn't clear what authority he had to 
make such a demand. 

"If the situation does not change by early tomorrow morning, I will send an 
official letter of resignation to Parliament," a somber-looking Gusmao said 
sitting in front the country's red, black and yellow flag. 

"Fretilin's leaders want to kill democracy in East Timor." 

Dueling political factions have sought to capitalize on the violence that 
flared in the streets of Dili last month, pitting rival security forces and 
machete-wielding youths against each other. 

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The Age (Melbourne)
Friday, June 23, 2006

Gusmao in threat to resign

by Hamish McDonald, Dili

photo: On the move: anti-Alkatiri protestors from East Timor's western 
districts rally in Dili last night after Presidnet Xanana Gusmao threatened 
to stand down. AP

EAST Timor's President, Xanana Gusmao, said last night he would resign today 
in an ultimatum to the ruling Fretilin party to dump Prime Minister Mari 
Alkatiri.

Mr Gusmao gave notice of his intention at the end of a 90- minute broadcast 
to the nation.

"Tomorrow I will send a letter to Parliament to inform them that I will 
resign from being President of the republic because I am ashamed of all the bad 
things that have happened," he said.

He called on Fretilin to convene an extraordinary congress within a week and 
dump its two top leaders, Mr Alkatiri and the Speaker of Parliament, Francisco 
Guterres.

The speech was the most explosive condemnation of Fretilin by Mr Gusmao since 
he split the former Indonesian underground from the party in 1991.

Elsewhere, a key Alkatiri ally, disgraced former interior minister Rogerio 
Lobato, has directly implicated the Prime Minister in the recruitment of a 
secret hit squad.

Lobato appeared in a Dili court for the first time yesterday on charges of 
supplying weapons. A court official said that at the closed hearing, Lobato 
corroborated earlier evidence that he and Mr Alkatiri had set up the squad to 
eliminate opponents of the Government.

The political stand-off is expected to come to a head today, when Mr Gusmao 
and Mr Alkatiri are scheduled to meet.

The court official, who asked not to be identified, said Lobato testified 
before international judge Sandra Sylvestre from Brazil. After the hearing, he 
was led away by Australian peacekeepers.

The charges against Lobato stem from evidence by former guerilla fighter 
Vicente da Conceicao, known as "Railos". He claims that Lobato supplied him and 
other civilians with high-calibre weapons.

ABC TV's Four Corners program reported on Monday that Mr Alkatiri had been 
present at a May 7 meeting when Lobato ordered an alleged hit squad linked to 
Fretilin to eliminate rivals. The court officials said Lobato corroborated that 
detail yesterday.

Reports last night said senior members of Fretilin had rallied behind Mr 
Alkatiri. The party said it rejected "political persecution against its leaders" 
in a statement by Fretilin's central committee. -- With AAP, AFP

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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