[Kabar-indonesia] 5 E.Timor Updates: PM hints at resignation; Possible successor says she's ready

[Joyo at aol.com]

5 articles:

- East Timor ruling party meets to debate  PM's future

- ETimor's PM hints at resignation

- Tipped ETimor PM successor says "prepared to be
  part of solution"

- ETimor ruling party gathers amid speculation PM
  could resign

- East Timor's ruling party to consult on political 
  crisis as protests continue

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East Timor ruling party meets to debate PM's future

By David Fox

DILI, June 25 (Reuters) - Leaders of East Timor's
ruling Fretilin party were meeting on Sunday, guarded
by international peacekeepers, to discuss the fate of
embattled Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, blamed for
nearly two months of violence.

Alkatiri's resignation has been the rallying cry
during protests by thousands of Timorese that have
peaked in the past five days after damaging
revelations in an Australian news documentary linked
him to a plot to arm a civilian militia.

The revelations prompted the tiny's nation's hugely
popular president, Xanana Gusmao, to threaten to quit,
saying he was ashamed of the country's political
leaders.

While he later pulled back, the bad blood between him
and Alkatiri is now out in the open. Diplomats say one
of them must go -- and it won't be Gusmao.

"Alkatiri's position is very shaky," said one Western
diplomat who asked not to be named. "It is just a
matter of time."

Alkatiri, re-elected Fretilin's leader in May by the
party's 80-member central committee in a show of
hands, is prime minister by virtue of their
parliamentary majority.

He insists he will not resign unless the party asks
him to.

Gusmao, who quit the party in the 1970s to concentrate
on leading an insurgency against Indonesia's often
brutal colonial rule, won the presidency by an
overwhelming majority when the country became the
world's newest independent nation in 2002.

The street protests have become something of a
popularity contest between the two men more akin to an
election race.

Gusmao, jailed by Indonesia for his role in the armed
struggle, is popularly known as "big brother" by
virtually all Timorese and is mobbed by supporters
wherever he goes.

WIDELY MISTRUSTED

Alkatiri, on the other hand, is widely mistrusted, not
just because he is a Muslim in a staunchly Roman
Catholic country but also for his less-than-impressive
liberation struggle credentials. He spent years in
exile in Mozambique and Angola, and critics say he was
influenced by their socialist policies.

He has not been seen in public for weeks, and always
travels under tight security.

With unemployment running at about 70 percent in a
nation of around 1 million, Alkatiri is accused of
failing to use the country's revenues from oil and gas
exploration rights in the Timor Sea to build a viable
economy and create jobs.

He is also blamed for mishandling a dispute by around
half of the 1,400-strong army that led to a split in
the security forces and widespread violence and
looting that only ended with the arrival of an
Australian-led intervention force.

On Sunday, Portuguese GNR riot police blocked access
to Fretilin's Dili headquarters on the main airport
road to prevent protesters from disrupting the
meeting.

There were few protesters out early in the capital on
Sunday, many Timorese instead going to church to pray
for peace.

"We need the situation to go back to normal. We want
to go back to our homes," said Mario Guttirez who has
camped out in the grounds of a church with his family
for over a month since rioting youth gangs torched his
home after the army break-up.

Thousands are still living in makeshift camps as a
result of that violence, sheltering under tarpaulin
sheets and reliant on United Nations food aid.

POSSIBLE SUCCESSOR

If Fretilin does persuade Alkatiri to go, one possible
successor is Ana Pessoa, one of two women in his
cabinet.

Pessoa told Portuguese radio on Saturday that she was
"ready to accept responsibilities" if Alkatiri
resigned as long as that decision was "shared by all
organs of state".

She was said to be returning on Sunday from a trip to
Indonesia.

The man most Western diplomats privately say they
would like as prime minister is Jose Ramos-Horta, a
former Nobel peace prize winner who appears to steer
clear of Fretilin politics but is also enormously
popular among ordinary Timorese.

A close friend of Gusmao and also Pessoa's ex-husband,
the West-leaning Ramos-Horta -- currently foreign and
interior minister -- is seen as more likely to
implement labour-intensive infrastructure projects and
manage loans and aid with more transparency.

East Timor was a Portuguese colony for centuries
before a revolution in Lisbon in 1975 gave the
territory a brief taste of independence.

Indonesian troops invaded a few days later and Jakarta
annexed East Timor in 1976.

After a 1999 vote for independence marked by violence
blamed largely on pro-Jakarta militia with ties to the
Indonesian army, an international peacekeeping force
moved into the territory, ushering in a transitional
period of U.N. administration before East Timor became
a fully-fledged nation in 2002.

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ETimor's PM hints at resignation

DILI, June 24 (AFP) -- East Timor's Prime Minister
Mari Alkatiri said Saturday he may resign if asked by
his ruling party, a day ahead of a planned meeting of
its leaders and as protestors swelled onto the streets
of Dili.

Alkatiri, who has been under mounting pressure to step
down to end a weeks-long crisis, did not rule out
resigning if the ruling Fretilin party asked him to in
order to "avoid a possible bloodbath".

"To say that I've already resigned would go against my
principles of leaving the decision to Fretilin ... but
I'm always at the disposal of Fretilin to take a
decision to avoid a possible bloodbath," Alkatiri told
Portugal's LUSA news agency.

Charismatic East Timorese President Xanana Gusmao
threatened Thursday to step down unless Alkatiri took
responsibility for a crisis which flared last month
when unrest left 21 people dead.

The premier immediately refused, insisting this would
complicate the crisis in the tiny nation of one
million. But Gusmao did not resign by the Friday
deadline either as his supporters massed on the
streets.

An extraordinary meeting of the Fretilin party to
decide Alkatiri's fate and possibly choose a successor
for him was planned Saturday but postponed until
Sunday when too few members of the central committee
showed up.

Party officials initially said the meeting was pushed
back due to thousands of Alkatiri protestors blocking
the street outside their headquarters as they chanted
slogans demanding he step down.

But Alkatiri admitted it may have been delayed to
allow his possible successor, Minister for State Ana
Pessoa, to fly to Dili from Indonesia's Bali, where
she was on Saturday.

"If she's the chosen person, she must be heard," he
said.

Pessoa told Portuguese radio Saturday that she was
"ready to accept responsibilities" if Alkatiri
resigned as long as that decision was "shared by all
organs of state".

Pessoa is one of two women in Alkatiri's cabinet
according to the government's website. She worked as a
judge in the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique
and was once married to Foreign and Defence Minister
Jose Ramos-Horta.

East Timor was gripped by violence in May as rival
factions of the country's security forces battled each
other and gangs fought on the streets, which left at
least 21 people dead and saw around 145,000 East
Timorese flee their homes.

The unrest stemmed from Alkatiri's dismissal of some
600 soldiers in March.

Pessoa had been appointed to run a government
commission to investigate the soldiers' grievances.

Gusmao, hailed as a national hero for leading East
Timor's guerrilla resistance against occupying
Indonesia, was at his home in the hills on Dili's
outskirts on Saturday, where he accepted seven rifles
handed in from civilians.

"The priority of this government is to have all the
weapons (that are) in the hands of civilians returned
to government hands," he said.

The president turned the weapons over to East Timor's
prosecutor-general.

They were to be checked to see whether they were among
those thought to have been given by sacked interior
minister Rogerio Lobato to civilians allegedly tasked
with assassinating Alkatiri's political opponents.

A documentary that purported to show Alkatiri's
involvement in arming the hit squad with Lobato led to
the president's initial demand that the prime minister
step down earlier this week.

Lobato faces charges that carry a 15-year jail term.

Asked about the proposed Fretilin meeting, Gusmao
said: "I believe they are aware of the problem of the
people and they will make a decision."

Asked when he believed the crisis would end, he said:
"It takes time, but I'm very hopeful we will end it
very soon."

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Tipped ETimor PM successor says "prepared to be part
of solution"

DENPASAR June 25 (AFP) -- The tipped successor to East
Timor's embattled prime minister, who has hinted as
his resignation, said Sunday she was ready to be part
of the solution to the crisis ensnaring the nation.

Speaking at Bali's international airport ahead of her
departure for Dili, Minister for State Ana Pessoa told
AFP that to refuse a position, if she was asked, would
be irresponsible.

"I am prepared to be part of the solution. I don't
want to be part of the problem," she said.

"If there's dialogue between the institutions -- I'm
talking about government, the presidency and the
parliament -- if all agree on a certain solution, then
I don't have any way of saying no. That would be
irresponsible."

Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, who has been under
escalating pressure to resign and take responsibility
for bloody violence which rocked East Timor's capital
Dili last month, named Pessoa Saturday as a potential
successor.

She is one of two women in Alkatiri's cabinet,
according to the government's website. She worked as a
judge in the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique
and was once married to Foreign and Defence Minister
Jose Ramos-Horta.

Pessoa had been appointed to a commission tasked with
investigating the grievances of some 600 soldiers
sacked by Alkatiri in March. That move was seen as the
initial trigger to unrest in May, which led to 21
deaths and prompted the arrival of more than 2,200
foreign peacekeepers in Dili.

Alkatiri said an extraordinary meeting of the ruling
Fretilin party -- ordered by President Xanana Gusmao
last week, who said its leaders, including Alkatiri,
had lost legitimacy -- may have been delayed Saturday
for her return.

"If she's the chosen person, she must be heard," he
told Portugal's LUSA news agency. The meeting was due
to get underway on Sunday.

Pessoa denied to AFP she was the reason behind the
delay. Officials said initially it was due to the mass
of anti-Alkatiri protestors outside which had made it
too difficult for party members to get inside.

Asked whether she wanted Alkatiri to resign, she said
"it depends", adding that a smooth progression
following the rule of law was critical.

"This is a crucial moment. This is not a question of
Alkatiri or Xanana -- it's more important. It's the
future of the country," she said.

Pessoa said if she was appointed premier, the
government would be dissolved but most of the
ministers would be reappointed to their positions
because elections are slated for early next year.

She said she would probably attend the Fretilin
meeting Sunday but warned it may last into Monday.

"I would imagine we would need at least one and a half
days to discuss all the possibilities," she said.

East Timor's revered independence hero Gusmao asked
Alkatiri to step down last week but was rebuffed.

Gusmao said he had lost confidence in him after seeing
a documentary purporting to show evidence he had
assented to having a hit squad armed to eliminate his
political opponents. Alkatiri denies the claims.

The president then threatened to step down himself if
Alkatiri would not by Friday, but relented when
thousands took to the streets to support him.

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ETimor ruling party gathers amid speculation PM could
resign

DILI, June 25 (AFP) -- East Timor's ruling party
gathered Sunday for a meeting which may see them oust
their embattled prime minister and name his successor
in a move likely to end weeks of political crisis.

One member of the ruling Fretilin party told reporters
that the 81-member central committee was beginning to
assemble inside party headquarters but the majority
required for quorum had not yet been reached.

Four-year-old East Timor has been paralysed since
violence rocked the capital Dili in late May, leading
to the deaths of 21 people and the deployment of more
than 2,200 foreign peacekeepers to restore calm.

Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, who had repeatedly
refused to step down and take responsibility for the
mayhem, said Saturday he could resign if asked to by
Fretilin "to avoid a possible bloodbath".

"To say that I've already resigned would go against my
principles of leaving the decision to Fretilin ... but
I'm always at the disposal of Fretilin to take a
decision to avoid a possible bloodbath," Alkatiri told
Portugal's LUSA news agency.

His rival, independence hero President Xanana Gusmao,
asked him last week to hand in his resignation but was
rebuffed.

Gusmao said he had lost confidence in Alkatiri after
seeing a documentary purporting to show evidence that
he had acquiesced in having a hit squad armed to kill
his rivals.

Gusmao then threatened to quit himself if Alkatiri
would not, but the popular president relented when
thousands of cheering supporters took to the streets.

Portuguese troops Sunday had set up a roadblock along
the highway leading to Fretilin headquarters after
thousands of Gusmao supporters rallied outside a day
earlier when the party first tried to convene the
extraordinary meeting.

Officials said the number of protestors had forced the
postponement of the meeting but Alkatiri admitted it
may have been to allow his possible successor,
Minister for State Ana Pessoa, to fly in to Dili from
Indonesia's Bali.

At Bali's international airport, Pessoa was readying
to board a flight Sunday.

"Things are complicated," she told AFP, adding that
she would only comment further when she was on the
plane.

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East Timor's ruling party to consult on political
crisis as protests continue

By TANALEE SMITH, Associated Press Writer

DILI East Timor, June 25 -- East Timor's ruling party
was set to hold talks Sunday on how to resolve the
political standoff between Prime Minister Mari
Alkatiri and the country's president, who has demanded
Alkatiri's ouster to calm months of unrest.

Alkatiri told Portuguese news agency Lusa on Saturday
that he was prepared to resign, but that other options
remained.

"To say I've already resigned goes against my
principles of devolving the decision to Fretilin,"
Alkatiri said, referring to his ruling party.

He said he was leaving it to the party to "analyze the
whole situation and take decisions."

Minister of State Ana Pessoa would be a possible
replacement for him if the Fretilin party decided to
ask him to step down, Alkatiri said.

But protesters have already rejected the nomination of
Pessoa or any other key Fretilin officials.

One senior Fretilin member resigned from her
government position Saturday to protest the continuing
political standoff. In a statement read on national
television, Domingas Mikato Alves said she was leaving
her post as adviser for women's affairs in the Cabinet
because she was not comfortable with the political
situation. She remains a member of Fretilin.

At Sunday morning Mass, Bishop Alberto Ricardo da
Silva criticized the government for prioritizing power
over the peace, stability and prosperity of East
Timor. But he urged forgiveness and calm.

"I appeal to the Timorese from the east as well as the
west to forget what happened in the past. It's time
for East Timorese to forgive each other," he said.
"Forget about looting and burning; please embrace each
other to build a new peace, tranquility in our
country. We have to learn from this violence so that
it will not happen in the future."

Fretilin's central committee had meant to gather
Saturday, but the talks were postponed by thousands of
determined protesters rallying in the streets of the
capital, Dili some outside party headquarters keeping
several key members from attending.

"This is a very important decision we have to make,
and we cannot work under this sort of pressure," said
committee member Estanislau da Silva, in explaining
the decision to put off the meeting for one more day.

Australian Brig. Mick Slater said Sunday that
multinational peacekeeping forces had ensured there
would be no protesters at the Fretilin headquarters so
the meeting could take place.

Saturday's demonstration was the largest in a week of
anti-Alkatiri protests. Nearly 5,000 people filled the
streets, driving in colorful convoys with horns
blaring and the national flag waving. "East Timorese
men and women, come and join us," some sang in new
lyrics to a traditional song.

"Viva Timor Lorosae!" the Timorese name for the
country, was a regular chant. "Long live national
unity!" Many also branded Alkatiri a terrorist and a
communist.

Many blame Alkatiri for the unrest that has left at
least 30 people dead and forced 145,000 others to flee
their homes.

He is criticized for dismissing 600 striking soldiers
nearly half of the country's armed forces in March,
and faces accusations of arming a hit squad to
terrorize his opponents, a charge he vehemently
denies.

Former Interior Minister Rogerio Lobato arrested
earlier this week on charges of attempted revolution,
conspiracy and providing state weapons to civilians
claimed in a closed court hearing that Alkatiri knew
civilian militias were being armed.

The dismissal of the soldiers led to gunbattles
between rival security forces, followed by gang-style
street fights, and mobs of machete-wielding youths
looting warehouses and setting houses on fire.

Though the violence has eased in recent weeks with the
arrival of a 2,700-strong foreign peacekeeping
mission, the political crisis has deepened with the
country's widely popular President Xanana Gusmao
pitting himself against Alkatiri.

Gusmao, a former guerrilla leader revered for helping
East Timor win independence from Indonesia, threatened
to quit on Thursday after Fretilin threw its support
behind the beleaguered premier.

But he said Saturday he would await the outcome of the
party's crisis

talks before handing Parliament his resignation.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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