TodayOnline
Tuesday • June 27, 2006
Marianne Kearney in Jakarta
After hanging on to his tenuous position for weeks, Timor Leste's unpopular Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri finally succumbed to pressure and handed in a resignation letter yesterday.
But analysts warn that his departure does not necessarily spell the end of unrest and violence in the impoverished country.
Mr Alkatiri said he was resigning in the interests of the country. "Assuming my own share of responsibility for the crisis affecting our country, I am determined not to contribute to any deepening of the crisis," he said.
The premier had faced demands to quit since late May, when clashes between police and army factions along with mob violence left 21 people dead and forced nearly 150,000 to flee their homes.
The pressure intensified last week when President Xanana Gusmao, a hero of the country's independence movement, ordered Mr Alkatiri to resign to take responsibility for the crisis. He threatened to resign if Mr Alkatiri would not.
Mr Alkatiri said: "I declare I am ready to resign my position as prime minister of the government ... so as to avoid the resignation of His Excellency the President of the Republic."
Hundreds of protesters, camped outside Parliament for the last few days, welcomed the decision as their noisy convoy marched through Dili. Even before accusations emerged last week that Mr Alkatiri had armed a hit squad tasked with wiping out his opponents, he was blamed for using the military to crack down on rebel troops and for a crisis in the security forces.
Mr Damien Kingsbury, an Australian-based analyst, said without Mr Alkatiri's resignation it would have been impossible for the country, and the ruling Fretilin party, to move forward.
"They will have opportunity to choose a more conciliatory Prime Minister," he said.
But other problems could linger, warned Mr Tigor Naispolos from a Dili-based non-government group Solidarity Without Borders.
The security forces were in turmoil, rebels were armed and sections of the ruling party were angry that Mr Alkatiri had been forced out of office, said Mr Naispolos.
He predicts that Mr Alkatiri's supporters won't necessarily cause havoc on the streets of Dili, but it can't be ruled out.
The new government would have to roll back the culture of violence, he added.
Observers said that in this period of rebuilding, Timor Leste may need more than just Australian peacekeepers, who are generally viewed as anti-Alkatiri, but a United Nations led force to restore peace.
So far, more than 2,200 foreign peacekeepers, mainly Australian have been deployed to maintain peace and security in the country.
"Violence and the culture of violence will be hard to solve, we need not just Australian soldiers but Portuguese and others, led by the UN," Mr Naispolos said.
The new leadership would have its hands full.
Significantly the candidate tipped to take over Mr Alkatiri's post is Ms Ana Pessoa, a close political ally of Mr Alkatiri's and part of a group of East Timorese who spent years of exile in the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique.
"She's from the Mozambique clique, and the problem is I think Alkatiri will still be controlling things from behind the scenes," said Mr Naispolos.
Ms Pessoa, the former wife of Nobel prize-winner Jose Ramos Horta, has better credentials than Mr Alkatiri, who was widely criticised as unsympathetic towards ordinary East Timorese, because he spent the years of the brutal Indonesian occupation in the relative comfort of Mozambique.
But observers also say that Ms Pessoa may face her own set of challenges.
"She's very Portuguese, very formal and it will be difficult for her to be accepted by the people," said Mr Naispolos.
One major problem is that she doesn't speak Tetum, the local language, said Mr Kingsbury, a hindrance if she wants to quickly reach out to ordinary Timorese.
However unlike Mr Alkatiri, Ms Pessoa is a much more moderate figure.
"She's not necessarily the best candidate — language is a central issue — but she could be a unifying figure, and essentially she's not authoritarian," Mr Kingsbury said.
Other than Ms Pessoa, Mr Jose Luis Gutteres, Timor Leste's United States ambassador or Mr Virgilio de Jesus, both reformist figures in the party, are strong contenders for the Prime Minister's post, said Mr Kingsbury.
The widely respected ex-Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta has also been hinting that he would be willing to step into the job, but analysts say with Fretilin viewing Mr Horta as having betrayed Mr Alkatiri, it would be almost impossible for him to be chosen..
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terça-feira, junho 27, 2006
Alkatiri's gone but Timor Leste's problems remain
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"She's not necessarily the best candidate — language is a central issue — but she could be a unifying figure, and essentially she's not authoritarian," Mr Kingsbury said."
not authoritarian? hahahaha......He obviously does not know Ms. Ana Pessoa the way we all know her. right?
Mari unpopular amongst those who want to corrupt East Timor. Mari is unpopular amongst those who are power hungry and would even betray the constitution and violate democracy for his removal.
Mari is unpopular allright if you are the opposition because they dont have half of his intelligence.
Let me tell you this is not over. Messing with FRETILIN is never an easy task.
Tradução:
Alkatiri foi-se mas os problemas de Timor-Leste permanecem
TodayOnline
Terça-feira • Junho 27, 2006
Marianne Kearney em Jakarta
Depois de se aguentar na sua difícil posição durante semanas, o impopular Primeiro-Ministro de Timor-Leste Mari Alkatiri sucumbiu finalmente à pressão e entregou ontem a sua carta de resignação.
Mas os analistas avisam que a sua partida não significa necessáriamente decretar o fim da agitação e da violência no país empobrecido.
O Sr Alkatiri disse que resignava no interesse do país. "Assumindo a minha parte de responsibilidade na crise que afecta o nosso país, estou determinado a não contribuir para nenhum aprofundamento da crise," disse.
O primeiro-ministro tinha enfrentado os pedidos para sair desde final de Maio, quando confrontos entre duas facções da polícia e das forças armadas, ao lado de violência de gangs deixaram 21 pessoas mortas e forçaram perto de 150,000 a fugir das suas casas.
A pressão intensificou-se na semana passada quando o Presidente Xanana Gusmão, um herói do movimento de independência do país, ordenou ao Sr Alkatiri para resignar e assumir a responsabilidade da crise. Ele ameaçou resignar se o Sr Alkatiri não o fizesse.
O Sr. Alkatiri disse: "Declaro que estou pronto a resignar da minha posição de primeiro-ministro do governo ... para assim evitar a resignação de Sua Excelência o Presidente da República."
Centenas de manifestantes, acampados fora do Parlamento nos últimos dias, celebraram a decisão quando a sua caravana barulhenta marchou através de Dili. Mesmo antes de terem emergido as acusações na semana passada de que o Sr Alkatiri tinha armado um esquadrão de ataque para eliminar os seus opositores, ele fora acusado de usar os militares para esmagar tropas rebeldes e pela crise nas forças de segurança.
Mr Damien Kingsbury, um analista Australiano, disse que sem a resignação do Sr Alkatiri seria impossivel para o país e para o partido no poder, a Fretilin, progredirem.
"Eles terão a oportunidade de escolher um Primeiro-Ministro mais conciliador," disse.
Mas outros problemas podem-se arrastar, avisou Mr Tigor Naispolos de uma ONG com base em Dil, a Solidariedade Sem Fronteiras.
As forças de segurançs estavam num turbilhão, os rebeldes estavam armadas e sectores do partido no poder estavam zangados com o facto do Sr Alkatiri ter sido forçado a sair do gabinete, disse Mr Naispolos.
Prevê que os apoiantes do Sr Alkatiri não causem necessariamente confusão nas ruas de Dili, mas não podemos descartar que isso não ocorra.
O novo governo terá de fazer recuar a cultura da violência, acrescentou.
Observadores dizem que neste período de reconstrução, Timor Leste pode precisar mais do que de tropas Australianas, que geralmente são vistas como anti-Alkatiri, mas uma força liderada pela ONU para restaurar a paz.
Até agora, mais de 2,200 tropas, a maioria Australianas foram destacadas para manter a paz e a segurança no país.
"A Violência e a cultura da violência serão difíceis de resolver, não precisamos só de soldados Australianos mas também Portuguesee e outros liderados pela ONU," disse Mr Naispolos .
A nova liderança terá as mãos cheias
Significantemente o candidate referido para ficar com o posto do Sr Alkatiri é a Senhora Ana Pessoa, uma aliada política próxima do Sr Alkatiri e que faz parte dum grupo de Timorenses que passaram anos de exílio na antiga colónia Portuguesa, Moçambique.
"È da clique de Moçambique, e o problema é que Alkatiri continuará ainda a controlar as coisas detrás da cena," disse Mr Naispolos.
A Senhora Pessoa, a antiga mulher do vencedor do prémio Nobel José Ramos Horta, tem melhores credenciais do que o Sr Alkatiri, que era amplamente criticado como antipático para os Timorenses vulgares, porque passou os anos da brutal ocupação Indonésia no relativo conforto de Moçambique.
Mas os observadores também dizem que a Senhora Pessoa pode enfrentar o seu próprio conjunto de problemas.
"É muito Portuguesa, muito formal e será difícil para ela ser aceite pelo povo," disse Mr Naispolos.
Um problema maior é que ela não fala Tetum, a lingua local, disse Mr Kingsbury, uma desvantagem se ela quiser chegar aos Timorenses rapidamente.
Contudo, ao contrário do Sr Alkatiri, a Senhora Pessoa é uma figura muito mais moderada.
"Ela não é necessariamente a melhor candidata — a linguagem é uma questão central — mas pode ser uma figura unificadora, e essencialmente, não é autoritárias," disse Mr Kingsbury.
Além da Senhora Pessoa, o Sr José Luis Gutteres o Embaixador de Timor-Leste nos USA ou o Sr Virgilio de Jesus, ambos figuras reformistas do partido, são candidatos fortes ao cargo de Primeiro-Ministro, disse, Mr Kingsbury.
O amplamente respeitado ex-Ministro dos Estrangeiros José Ramos Horta tem também sugerido que estaria disposto a aceitar o lugar, mas os analistas dizem que com a Fretilin a considerar que Mr Horta traiu o Sr Alkatiri, será quase impossível que ele seja o escolhido.
"mainly Australian have been deployed to maintain peace and security in the country." Mr Naispolos said.
obviously you haven´t seen the news, where it shows CLEARLY that they were there while the "protestants" were burning down the houses, cars, stealing the warehouses and also, disturbing the peace that was here before all this started.. so please, you should really ask yourself again, what they are REALLY doing there!!!!
by the way, continuing.. they were there while all that happened and they didn´t do A FIG...!!
Wake up to your senses!! Fretilin will choose somebody with the capacity and intelligence to govern the country as well as someone they can trust.
Not Ramos Horta, not Jose Luis Gutteres, and not Virgilio de Jesus!!! If it is power they want, which is obviously evident, why dont they go and form their own political party and challenge FRETILIN in the next elections.
People always criticise the fact that Mari Alkitiri spent most of the independence stuggle outside East Timor. What people seem to forget is that he was a strong FRETILIN activist outside. The outside stuggle was just as important as the one inside. East Timor would still be under Indonesian occupation if it hadnt been for the work of the international solidarity that Mari Alkitiri and others like him created.
"East Timor would still be under Indonesian occupation if it hadnt been for the work of the international solidarity that Mari Alkitiri and others like him created."
You are seriously delusional my friend. I advise you to seek medical assistance right away. Your desperation doesn't let you think straight!
Get medical help and Fast!!
"get medical help and fast"???
Why dont you something more educated?
The outside struggle was just as important as the one inside. If it wasnt for mounting pressure from the international community then East Timor would never have have the opportunity to hold the referendum in 1999. The people would never have had the opportuniy to vote for Independance.
International solidairty in places like Australia, Ireland, Mozambique, England, Brazil, Portugal etc etc all contributed to The Independance of the East Timorese people.
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