
| Southeast Asia
Megawati's winners reject Timor's winners
JAKARTA - The Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) rejects the result of the East Timor referendum, a party executive says.
''We will not be able to endorse the ballot's result at the forthcoming People's Consultative Assembly [MPR] general meeting,'' said Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno, a PDI-P vice chairman.
In the East Timor popular consultation on August 30, more than 70 percent of eligible East Timorese rejected Indonesia's offer of wide-ranging autonomy.
Under an existing agreement between Indonesia, Portugal and the UN, the Indonesian government will report the ballot's outcome to a meeting of the MPR and propose that the assembly revoke its resolution sanctioning East Timor's integration into the Republic of Indonesia.
The assembly is scheduled to meet in October. ''Many parties will sit in the next MPR, so we have to see what those parties will say about the East Timor direct ballot,'' Soetardjo said.
Asked about allegations of fraud in the UN-administered ballot, Soetardjo said Indonesia should protest to the United Nations. ''If we still have national pride we should protest about all the fraud committed by Unamet personnel.'' If the fraud allegations prove to be true, the UN must organize a repeat ballot, he said.
Meanwhile, PDI-P leader Megawati Soekarnoputri urged the United Nations to respond to charges of fraud committed by Unamet personnel. ''I would like to call on the leadership of the United Nations to respond to those charges and to process them duly.''
(Asia Pulse/Antara)
|