Li Peng Greets East Timor Assembly SpeakerTop Chinese legislator Li Peng has sent a congratulatory message to the newly-elected speaker of the Constituent Assembly of East Timor, Francisco Guterres (Lu Olo).Li Peng, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), extended his "sincere congratulations and best wishes to" Guterres on behalf of the NPC Standing Committee. He said the establishment of the Constituent Assembly "lays an important foundation for the final independence and founding of a peaceful and stable country of East Timor." The Chinese government is ready to develop friendly relations with East Timor, and the NPC is willing to "carry out friendly cooperation and exchanges with the Constituent Assembly," Li said in the message. On August 30, 1999, an overwhelming majority of voters in East Timor opted for independence in a U.N.-sponsored referendum. More than 91 percent of the electorate participated in the general elections. The Constituent body is mandated to draft a Constitution within 90 days. |
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