Home>>World
Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, November 29, 2001

Presidential Election to Be Held in East Timor Next April

The first presidential election in East Timor will be held in the first or second week of of April next year and the voting process will be universal, direct and secret, according to a press release issued at the United Nations headquarters in New York Wednesday.


PRINT IT DISCUSS IT CHINESE SEND TO FRIENDS


The first presidential election in East Timor will be held in the first or second week of April next year and the voting process will be universal, direct and secret, according to a press release issued at the United Nations headquarters in New York Wednesday.

The press release said that the constituent assembly in East Timor Wednesday chose the presidential election date by approving a motion.

The assembly also affirmed that the formal transfer of powers and sovereignty from the United Nations to democratically elected East Timorese institutions be conducted on May 20, 2002.

Carlos Valenzuela, chief electoral officer of the Independent Electoral Commission, addressed the assembly to outline the modalities the assembly would need to determine quickly so that the election can be organized within a short timeframe.

The modalities include the criteria for the registration of political parties and voter participation and the type of electoral system (simple or absolute majority) to be employed.

Valenzuela said the assembly would need to determine these and other issues no later than January 15, in order that the Independent Electoral Commission have sufficient time to organize the process.

Valenzuela recommended that a "simple majority" system be employed so that no potential second round run off would be necessary.

A Portuguese colony for over a century, East Timor with a population of 800,000 was annexed by Indonesia in 1976. On August 30, 1999, an overwhelming majority of voters opted for independence in a U.N.-sponsored referendum.

The constituent assembly came out of general elections held on August 30 this year, and the assembly is mandated to draft a constitution within 90 days.

The assembly recommended in October that the Southeast Asian territory will become fully independent on May 20, 2002.




    Advanced

Fretilin Wins East Timor's Election

Indonesia, E. Timor Agree to Demilitarize Border