EAST TIMOR SITREP FOR MAY 17, 2006

C O N F I D E N T I A L DILI 000239

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, USPACOM FOR JOC AND POLAD, JOINT STAFF FOR J5

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/17/2016
TAGS: ASEC AMGT PGOV KDEM TT
SUBJECT: EAST TIMOR SITREP FOR MAY 17, 2006


CLASSIFIED BY: Elizabeth S. Wharton, Political Officer, Embassy
Dili, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(g)
LIFE IN DILI


1. (U) Commercial, transportation, and civic activity in the
city are normal. A few roadblocks have been established around
the area where the Fretilin Party Congress is taking place.
There were 76 seats open on outbound flights. The Australian,
British Irish, Korean, New Zealand, Philippines, Portuguese
embassies are operating normally. A few Japanese Embassy
dependents have departed, but otherwise, that mission also
continues to operate normally.

Fretilin Congress Day 1: alkatiri rigs the vote


2. (C) Using a cunning procedural move, the Alkatiri block
outmaneuvered their opponents by engineering a vote to abolish
the secret ballot system that was to have been used in electing
the party leadership. In the hand vote that ensued, more than
75 percent of the delegates voted in favor of the change.
Ambassador Jose Luis Guterres (Lugu),a group of about ten
around him, and a sprinkling of the other delegates voted
against. There were also some interesting abstentions,
including Ana Pessoa, the Minister for State Administration, who
has been a hard-line Alkatiri supporter, but today appeared to
be estranged from him and visibly upset about this development.
One senior Lugu supporter and former minister summed up the
situation by describing the rest of the congress was
"meaningless".

LUGU MAY LACK SUPPORT FOR NOMINATION


3. (C) More bad news for the Lugu camp may come in the coming
days as he attempts to attain the signatures for his nomination.
According to an advisor to Lu Olo, candidate nomination
signatures have been collected over the last few days and most
delegates have already signed the nomination forms for Alkatiri
and Lu'olo, leaving so few delegates that Guterres may not even
be able to meet the ten percent threshold.

SALSINHA INSECURE AND OUT OF HIS DEPTH


4. (C) ODC Rep and EmbOff met with dissident military leader Lt.
Salsinha today in the mountain town of Gleno. Clearly insecure
and out of his depth in his newfound leadership role, Salsinha
renewed the petitioners' demands for the FDTL to lay down their
arms before any investigation into the incidents of April 28 or
the original complaints of the dismissed soldiers takes place.
Salsinha was receptive to suggestions from EmbOffs that he and
his group develop a tiered engagement strategy and allow an
initial meeting with GOET officials to take place before further
discussion of his group's (unrealistic) demands. He agreed to
discuss the proposal with his fellow petitioners, nearly 300 of
whom are assembling in Ermera by tomorrow. The Embassy has
discussed this issue widely with the government is continuing to
facilitate dialogue between this group and the Government and in
helping to identify possible confidence building measures and
other ways to deescalate.

AMCIT EVACUATION PREPARATIONS


5. (C) Post is continuing to make detailed preparations for the
potential evacuation of Amcits. Post has prepared the necessary
documents and will continue to coordinate with the Australians
to ensure that Post's processing plans mesh with their plans to
utilize the Dili Heliport as an Evacuee Handling Center. The
Embassy is hosting a town hall meeting for Amcits tomorrow, May

18.

EMBASSY PREPARATIONS


6. (U) -- Beds have been set up on the embassy compound for all
mission personnel;
-- Post has stockpiled enough food to support 200 people for 4
days;
-- All mission personnel have been issued radios and post
conducted a radio check;
-- Post conducted duck and cover and fire drills on May 16, 2006;
-- The Embassy has 30 days fuel for mission generators.

STEIN