I like what the international crisis group is saying about the sidelining of Gusmao and Alkatiri. But I go one further.
If Ramos Horta is so committed as he says in his regular interviews to handing over the reins to the younger generation, then he too should sideline himself from the next elections. "I'm dead serious about that. I'm an individual, primarily with sentiments, with feelings, and I sincerely believe that the new generation of our country should take the reins of the government of the country." is what he said in a recent interview with Tony jones here in Australia.
In fact he should lead by example and announce such action on his part, and challenge Alkatiri and Gusmao to follow (and thereby please the International Crisis Group).
Another reason for him to choose such a course of action is that he himself is intertwined with this crisis and has already accepted some responsibility. In fact Alkatiri has paid a political price by his resignation and Horta and Gusmao (despite being the loudest to scream "political honesty, is all I demand") have been the only ones to gain and not pay any price at all for their involvement in the crisis.
For Horta to announce that he will not run or seek office in the next term would be true leadership and way beyond his current rhetoric of saying things like "If and that is a big 'if'- in an extreme scenario where out of a million or so people in my country they can't find someone else for a president or for prime minister, then I might - and I emphasise 'I might consider' ", as he has also said during a recent interview with Tony Jones here in Australia.
How can you say that there are people in the new generation who can lead and should lead and then say that 'if they can't find someone else for president or prime minister"?
You cannot have your cake and eat it too Dr. Horta.
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quinta-feira, outubro 12, 2006
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Well done brother...
“Resolving Timor-Leste´s Crisis”
A brief response by Mari Alkatiri
11 October 2006
I had access today to the report published on behalf on ICG. I must stress ‘on behalf of’ because the author simply made use of the name of a credible organization to convey a hardly objective message, drawing on a historical retrospective seriously lacking precision. The author hides behind ICG’s credibility to convey opinions and recommendations based on personal interpretation of make-belief facts, rumours and gossip instead of proven facts established by sound objective research.
For the sake of her own credibility, the author of this report ought to have shown interest in interviewing all those whose names were referred to. Just like me, other leaders mentioned in this report were not included in the list of meetings held by the gossip “researcher” which the author turns out to be.
In addition the author of the report analyses facts with no objectivity whatsoever. I will make reference to but a few of them.
When the author states that Roque Rodrigues shared the same house for years with Taur Matan Ruak with the aim of influencing, on behalf of Prime-Minister Alkatiri, the Brigadier-General – and, consequently, the Defence Force, the author is basing her argument on a preconceived premise thus showing no sense of truth-seeking whatsoever. As the author could find nothing else, she simply tries to combine loose pieces in an attempt to assemble a non-existing puzzle, depicting a picture rich in conspiracy labyrinths typical of great Agatha Christie. At the end of the day, however, the author is actually dealing with real human beings and disrespecting individual privacy. Although she claims to be a defender of individual rights, she violates the basic rights of Roque Rodrigues and Taur Matan Ruak and their families. While trying to understand events by reading them in the light of a conspiracy framework, typical of mystery novels, the author ultimately taints the whole report.
But the fact is that Ms. Sydney Jones actually interviewed General Taur Matan Ruak, which makes things even worse. If her intent was to be objective in the search for truth she at least ought to have asked the General why he shared a home with Roque Rodrigues, what was the reason for such choice and what were the roots of their friendship. She preferred not, rather letting her imagination made of “plots” and “conspiracy” be fed by rumours and gossip roaming the streets of Dili everyday. Overwhelmed by this atmosphere of rumour, gossip and defamation, Ms. Sydney Jones chose to use them as key sources of information and offended honest decent human beings, without scruple.
As regards Fretilin and their Congress, Ms Jones also draws her conclusions without having cared to speak to the main actors in the process. She certainly did this based on opinions hostile to the organization. She ought to have shown greater respect for the nearly six hundred delegates present at the Congress and try to seek the truth by listening to some of them. When the author states that I totally changed the rules of the game, she is accepting a complete lie disseminated by my opponents as true. Were Ms. Jones interested in being more objective, she would have tried to contact the President or the Secretary-General of Fretilin and listen to their version of the facts. This however means expecting too much from Ms. Sydney Jones, as this report was seemingly never interested in seeking the truth.
When the author states that the contradictions between Fretilin’s Central Committee and Xanana Gusmão, dating back from the 1980’s, are at the root of the conflict, she again shows a shallow approach to an issue that is so important to us. The author certainly ignores that any problems that may have existed in the 1980’s did not involve Xanana Gusmão and Mari Alkatiri. We had differences in our approach to specific issues. But there was certainly no conflict between us in the 1980’s. Explaining the existing crisis based only on a conflict between Xanana and Mari is to evidence a limited – not to say biased and intellectually dishonest – point of view on East-Timorese reality. The truth is that other actors, both national and foreign, each with a different relative weight, have contributed to plunge Timor-Leste into the situation currently faced by our country.
Ms. Sydney Jones looks at the World as if it were an old-time Western on a screen, featuring an individual hero acting independently and deploying forces on his own, without ever being accountable to any institution. When the author refers to the Police Force, the creation of special units and names the Minister of the Interior responsible for this, once again she evidences her limited knowledge concerning the way in which these Units were set up and the functioning of East Timorese institutions. Besides the URP (Police Reserve Unit), established to respond to bloody attacks perpetrated in January and February 2003 by armed individuals operating in Hatolia, Atsabe and Atabae (bear in mind that, as of May 2004, the UN was still in charge of Internal Security and Defence in Timor-Leste) every other existing special Police Units were established by UNTAET. On the other hand, the author certainly ignores that these special Units were accountable to the General Command of the National Police. This was an option we made, to ensure a sole Command. On this issue, the recommendation the author draws is, to say the least, out of context.
I need to make no more efforts to prove that the Report drafted by Ms. Sydney Jones lacks objectivity and intellectual honesty. It is founded on prejudiced premises. I regret that the author used the name of a usually credible institution to convey a message which in no way contributes to ICG’s credibility. I sincerely regret it.
you know doing what in the sink.....
Good THINKING!
Horta thinks you don't think about what he is thinking.
He thinks all the Timorese are idiots.
Well done broth....
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