
Issue No 111		14 September 2001

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International

Election Results from East Timor

By HT Lee in Dili

Fretelin as expected has topped the poll in East Timor's first free democratic election and the violence predicted by some has not eventuated.


	FRETELIN

This election is for an 88 member Constitutional Assembly which will be sworn in on 15 September and their task over the next three months is to discuss and formulate East Timor's constitution. The Assembly consist of 75 nationally elected representatives and 13 from the districts. The national representatives are elected on a PR system while the district representatives are elected by the first past the post system.

Although FRETELIN topped the poll nationally with 57.37% of the votes giving it 43 national representatives and 12 from the districts, FRETELIN was five seats short of the absolute two-third majority and will have to depend on the minor parties to push

through the constitutional changes and reform it wants.

FRETILIN's votes fell short of expectation--a minimum of 70% of the votes with a minimum of 60 seats.

The newly formed party--PD (Partido Democratico) did well capturing 8.72% of the votes.

PD was only formed two months ago by former members of the resistance movement in East Timor and the RENENIL students--East Timorese students who studied in Jakarta and who played a crucial role in the lead up to the 30 August 1999 ballot. The chairperson of PD, Fernando de Araujo was in the same goal as Xanna Gusmao in

Jakarta.

PD is perceived to be a party without any connection with the Indonesian authority when they were in East Timor, and a party whose members played a crucial role in the independence struggle and have not been tainted. They were able to use their network to mobilise the people.

This is a party to watch out for in the future. This election also saw the elected 23 women to the Assembly.

Political sophistication

The UN send in a big team mainly from Europe to try to teach the East Timorese to 'suck eggs'--they thought because the East Timorese are mainly uneducated they do not understand the 'democratic' process of elections we in the west understands.

However, they forgot that the East Timoresse had participated in elections under Indonesian occupation, although they were forced to vote for 'Gokar 1,' 'Gokar 2,' and 'Gokar 3.' And before that they were under Portuguese colonial rule for over 400 years--this has made them politically street-wise.

They might not be as educated as we are, but when it comes to political sophistication they can teach us a few tricks. They gave FRETELIN a big working majority because FRETELIN had been fighting against the Indonesian occupation since 1975. But they were not prepared to give FRETELIN an absolute majority--had we been put in a similar situation we would have given FRETELIN an absolute majority.

The results

ďż˝ PDC (Partido Democrata Cristao) 1.98% - 2 seats

ďż˝ UDT (Uniao Democratica Timorese 2.26% - 2 seats

ďż˝ PD (Partido Democratico) 8.72% - 7 seats

ďż˝ FRETELIN 57.37% - 43 seats

ďż˝ KOTA (Klibur Oan Timor Asuwain) 2.13% - 2 seats

ďż˝ PNT (Partido Nasionalista Timorense) 2.21% - 2 seats

ďż˝ PSD (Partido Social Democrata) 8.18% - 6 seats

ďż˝ UDC/PDT (Partido Democrata-Cristao de Timor) 0.66% -1 seat

ďż˝ PPT (Partido do Provo de Timor) 2.21% - 2 seats

ďż˝ PST (Partido Socialista de Timor) 1.78% - 1 seat

ďż˝ ASDT (Associacao Social-Democrata Timorense) 7.84% -6 seats

ďż˝ PL (Partai Liberal) 1.10% - 1 seat

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Issue 111 contents

Interview: Amidst the Debris
ACTU President Sharan Burrow surveys the wreckage from a week that rocked the world.

Politics: Consequences of Empire
The horror of the events in New York has not led to all American and international observers feeling committed to bloody revenge.

Industrial: Grounded
Ansett workers lay bare their feelings at seeing their company driven into oblivion.

International: Election Results from East Timor
Fretelin as expected has topped the poll in East Timorďż˝s first free democratic election and the violence predicted by some has not eventuated.

E-Change: 3.2 The Electronic Consumerist
In their latest instalment Peter Lewis and Michael Gadiel ask how effective has the law become in safeguarding the things that really matter to us?

Legal: Howard's Falkland War
Zoe Reynolds chronicles the bizarre tale of the Tampa and how a group of refugees bacame pawns in a bigger political game.

Compo: Round Two Begins
Nancy Searle reviews the Sheahan Report and highlights some of the areas of concern to injured workers.

Economics: Knowledge, Power, Banking
Raj Patel questions whether a new World Bank initiative is actually designed to control the way the Third World thinks.

Review: Political Theatre
The Naked Theatre Company is a youthful, adventurous, professional, Sydney theatre company committed to the development and production of Australian playwrights.

Satire: Howard US Visit "Marginally Overshadowed"
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has said his US trip was a complete success, if slightly upstaged towards the middle.

» Howard Deserts Ansett Workers

» Trans Tasman Battle for Entitlements

» Qantas Workers Move To Protect Their Entitlements

» Unions Denounce Muslim Attacks

» Fund Established for New York Workers

» Australian Unionist Lost in New York

» US Flight Crews Support Ansett Workers

» Compo: Threshold Too High

» Della Moves on Premium Evasion

» Travel Site Severs Burma Links

» Paint Company Wants Strike Declared Illegal

» Casino Staff Locked Out Again

» Tax Staff to Strike Back

» Union Applauds Deet Ruling On Clothing

» Unions Take Message to Migrant Workers

» Get Ready to Wobble

» Activists' Notebook

» STOP PRESS: Howard Rolls Abbott on Entitlements