OMEN
06-22-2006, 08:31 PM
EAST Timor's founding president, Xanana Gusmao, will resign today if Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri does not accept his ultimatum to take responsibility for the crisis engulfing the world's youngest nation and quit.
However, Dr Alkatiri said he would not resign, setting up a showdown with the nation's popular leader.
In an address to the country, Mr Gusmao said the ruling Fretilin Party had a choice: "Ask Mari Alkatiri to take responsibility for the major crisis, about the sacrifices of the state, the law and democracy, or, tomorrow (Friday), I will send a letter to Parliament to inform them that I will resign from being President of the republic because I am ashamed of all the bad things that have happened."
Mr Gusmao, who turned 60 two days ago and has been president of the tiny half-island state for the past four years, added that he "didn't have a brave face to show the people" after developments in recent weeks.
Mr Gusmao, who despite the political manoeuvering and the collapse of law and order, remains popular, used the radio broadcast to raise the spectre of his resignation today in what some observers think is a bid to mobilise more pressure on Dr Alkatiri. Before he announced he was stepping down, Mr Gusmao ordered Fretlin to choose a new prime minister, saying Dr Alkatiri had no legitimacy.
Australian peacekeeping troops in the country were on heightened alert last night as at least 40 truck loads of protesters, incensed by the prospect of Mr Gusmao's forced resignation, descended on the capital of Dili from the hill town of Liquica and the coffee-growing town of Ermera for a mass protest today.
The Australian Government was last night insisting that the developments were an internal matter for the East Timorese Government.
The threat to resign is the latest move in an escalating war of brinkmanship that has crippled the political leadership of East Timor over the past month.
Mr Gusmao attempted to force Dr Alkatiri to resign during a long and heated meeting of the Council of Government on Wednesday.
Citing claims of intimidation, arms running and death squads, Mr Gusmao told the Prime Minister to quit or he would resign. The majority of the council backed the Mr Gusmao.
Dr Alkatiri immediately went to an executive political committee of Fretlin to endorse his leadership, with the party rallying behind its secretary-general.
In his speech yesterday, Mr Gusmao accused Dr Alkatiri and Fretilin of ignoring the political crisis, which has seen widespread violence and forced the deployment of an Australian-led force of police and soldiers to maintain calm.
"It seems like Alkatiri has washed his hands of the situation and I am the one responsible, so I have asked Fretilin to act to solve the situation or by tomorrow morning I will submit my resignation to parliament," Mr Gusmao said.
Mr Gusmao also challenged Fretilin to reschedule another congress meeting, claiming that the two-day meeting in May, in which Dr Alkatiri was re-endorsed as Prime Minister, was illegal and in breach of the country's political laws and the constitution.
East Timor descended into violence last month as troops and police fought among themselves, and the streets of Dili were rocked by gang warfare. Twenty-one people were killed, 145,000 terrified residents fled their homes and international peacekeepers flew in.
The violence was linked to Dr Alkatiri's decision to sack one third of the armed forces after a dispute over pay.
The Howard Government has vowed not to get involved in Timor's internal political problems despite Australian special forces soldiers yesterday taking a former interior minister into custody.
Rogerio Lobato was arrested and charged with fomenting civil unrest after a raid on his Dili house.
Heavily armed soldiers stood guard outside Mr Lobato's home in the upmarket suburb of Farol while East Timorese prosecutors, armed with a warrant, announced his arrest in connection with the illegal arming of civilian militia.
The use of Australian soldiers as security guards was strongly backed yesterday by Defence Minister Brendan Nelson.
"Under no circumstances will Australia involve itself in the internal political tensions in East Timor. Any difficulties must be resolved legally and constitutionally," he said.
Witnesses said Mr Lobato did not resist arrest and was bundled into an Australian army four-wheel-drive and taken into custody.
Australian army spokesman Major James Baker confirmed the raid, saying up to eight special forces soldiers had provided security for court officials after a request from East Timorese authorities.
"We (the ADF) believe the arrest of Mr Lobato is a matter for the Timor Leste authorities. JTF (Joint Task Force) soldiers did not effect the arrest," Major Baker said. Australian soldiers have been providing security outside Mr Lobato's house for the past 36 hours.
Despite Mr Gusmao's statement, Fretilin spokesman Jose Reis said the party continued to support Dr Alkatiri.
But most of the Fretilin central committee is believed to have accepted their leader must go and to have put this view at an emergency meeting, although Mr Reis was dismissive of this claim yesterday.
"It's only the (entire) central committee that can make the decision to sack the Prime Minister, not just one or two people," he said. "There has been no decision to sack him. There might be a meeting on Saturday."
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However, Dr Alkatiri said he would not resign, setting up a showdown with the nation's popular leader.
In an address to the country, Mr Gusmao said the ruling Fretilin Party had a choice: "Ask Mari Alkatiri to take responsibility for the major crisis, about the sacrifices of the state, the law and democracy, or, tomorrow (Friday), I will send a letter to Parliament to inform them that I will resign from being President of the republic because I am ashamed of all the bad things that have happened."
Mr Gusmao, who turned 60 two days ago and has been president of the tiny half-island state for the past four years, added that he "didn't have a brave face to show the people" after developments in recent weeks.
Mr Gusmao, who despite the political manoeuvering and the collapse of law and order, remains popular, used the radio broadcast to raise the spectre of his resignation today in what some observers think is a bid to mobilise more pressure on Dr Alkatiri. Before he announced he was stepping down, Mr Gusmao ordered Fretlin to choose a new prime minister, saying Dr Alkatiri had no legitimacy.
Australian peacekeeping troops in the country were on heightened alert last night as at least 40 truck loads of protesters, incensed by the prospect of Mr Gusmao's forced resignation, descended on the capital of Dili from the hill town of Liquica and the coffee-growing town of Ermera for a mass protest today.
The Australian Government was last night insisting that the developments were an internal matter for the East Timorese Government.
The threat to resign is the latest move in an escalating war of brinkmanship that has crippled the political leadership of East Timor over the past month.
Mr Gusmao attempted to force Dr Alkatiri to resign during a long and heated meeting of the Council of Government on Wednesday.
Citing claims of intimidation, arms running and death squads, Mr Gusmao told the Prime Minister to quit or he would resign. The majority of the council backed the Mr Gusmao.
Dr Alkatiri immediately went to an executive political committee of Fretlin to endorse his leadership, with the party rallying behind its secretary-general.
In his speech yesterday, Mr Gusmao accused Dr Alkatiri and Fretilin of ignoring the political crisis, which has seen widespread violence and forced the deployment of an Australian-led force of police and soldiers to maintain calm.
"It seems like Alkatiri has washed his hands of the situation and I am the one responsible, so I have asked Fretilin to act to solve the situation or by tomorrow morning I will submit my resignation to parliament," Mr Gusmao said.
Mr Gusmao also challenged Fretilin to reschedule another congress meeting, claiming that the two-day meeting in May, in which Dr Alkatiri was re-endorsed as Prime Minister, was illegal and in breach of the country's political laws and the constitution.
East Timor descended into violence last month as troops and police fought among themselves, and the streets of Dili were rocked by gang warfare. Twenty-one people were killed, 145,000 terrified residents fled their homes and international peacekeepers flew in.
The violence was linked to Dr Alkatiri's decision to sack one third of the armed forces after a dispute over pay.
The Howard Government has vowed not to get involved in Timor's internal political problems despite Australian special forces soldiers yesterday taking a former interior minister into custody.
Rogerio Lobato was arrested and charged with fomenting civil unrest after a raid on his Dili house.
Heavily armed soldiers stood guard outside Mr Lobato's home in the upmarket suburb of Farol while East Timorese prosecutors, armed with a warrant, announced his arrest in connection with the illegal arming of civilian militia.
The use of Australian soldiers as security guards was strongly backed yesterday by Defence Minister Brendan Nelson.
"Under no circumstances will Australia involve itself in the internal political tensions in East Timor. Any difficulties must be resolved legally and constitutionally," he said.
Witnesses said Mr Lobato did not resist arrest and was bundled into an Australian army four-wheel-drive and taken into custody.
Australian army spokesman Major James Baker confirmed the raid, saying up to eight special forces soldiers had provided security for court officials after a request from East Timorese authorities.
"We (the ADF) believe the arrest of Mr Lobato is a matter for the Timor Leste authorities. JTF (Joint Task Force) soldiers did not effect the arrest," Major Baker said. Australian soldiers have been providing security outside Mr Lobato's house for the past 36 hours.
Despite Mr Gusmao's statement, Fretilin spokesman Jose Reis said the party continued to support Dr Alkatiri.
But most of the Fretilin central committee is believed to have accepted their leader must go and to have put this view at an emergency meeting, although Mr Reis was dismissive of this claim yesterday.
"It's only the (entire) central committee that can make the decision to sack the Prime Minister, not just one or two people," he said. "There has been no decision to sack him. There might be a meeting on Saturday."
http://network.news.com.au/images/h14_theaustralian.gif