EAST TIMOR SITREP FOR MAY 19, 2006

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DILI 000243 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MTS; USPACOM FOR JOC AND POLAD; JOINT STAFF FOR J5 E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/18/2016 TAGS: ASEC PGOV MARR KDEM TT SUBJECT: EAST TIMOR SITREP FOR MAY 19, 2006 DILI 00000243 001.2 OF 002 CLASSIFIED BY: Sean Stein, Charge de Affairs, Embassy Dili, State. REASON: 1.4 (b) LIFE IN DILI ¶1. (U) The city continues to return to normal and there were several reports of additional refugees returning to Dili Transportation was functioning normally; schools and markets were open. Despite a heavy security presence, restaurants in the immediate area around the party congress were open. There were 60 empty seats on outgoing flights. ALKATIRI WINS FRETILIN ELECTION UNOPPOSED ¶2. (U) After informally announcing he would not run for Fretilin Party Secretary-General last night, the absence of Jose Luis Guterres (aka Lugu) and his closest supporters from the Fretilin Party Congress this morning was a clear indication that Prime Minister Alkatiri would be reelected unopposed. In an official press conference at noon, Lugu stated that he was withdrawing from the race for Secretary-General in protest of the lack of transparency and democratic principles at the congress. ¶3. (SBU) The official nomination speech for Alkatiri was delivered by none other than Minister of the Interior Rogerio Lobato. Dressed entirely in white, the former diamond smuggler praised the Central Committee for its "exemplary transparency" and noted that the congress had been observed by opposition parties and internationals. Lobato smugly announced the number of delegates supporting Alkatiri's nomination from each district, claiming that the signatures had been obtained through political savvy rather than strong-arm tactics. In total, Alkatiri's nomination was supported by 88% of the delegates. ¶4. (U) Speaking to the delegates before the vote, Alkatiri criticized Guterres for not attending the final day of the congress and accused him of attempting to buy votes and ignoring the will of the people. However, in his victory speech, he acknowledged Guterres as a founding member of Fretilin and appealed for party unity in the 2007 election campaign. Alkatiri asked that the issue of voting by secret ballot be revisited and, in a third and final poll, the decision to vote by a show of hands was readopted with near unanimity. In the official vote for Secretary General, out of the 566 delegates present, 555 voted for Alkatiri, 5 voted against, and 11 delegates abstained. The poll was immediately followed by cheers of "Viva Alkatiri!" from the crowd. FRETILIN CONGRESS SHENANIGANS RENDER PRESIDENT "SICK" ¶5. (C) The Charge, along with the British and New Zealand Ambassadors, had a joint demarche with President Gusmao scheduled for Thursday, and subsequently for Friday. Both days, the President canceled and remained in his hillside home claiming to be "sick". The President's Chief of Staff indicated to the British and New Zealand Ambassadors that the President was distraught about the way the voting rules had been changed during the Fretilin Congress and about the recent fractioning of the security forces and breakdown in the military command structure. Independence Day celebrations scheduled to take place at the Presidential Palace today were also postponed. Note: The President's actions mirror previous periods during which the President has become recluse and unwilling to act out of depression about the current situation. End Note. EMBASSY CONFIRMS PETITIONERS GATHERING IN GLENO ¶6. (SBU) In a telcon with EmbOff, Major Alfredo Reinado confirmed that a large number of the petitioners are currently gathered in Gleno. He was unaware of any actions they may be preparing. During a meeting with senior police officials, the Charge was informed that all police officials in the Aileu area, where Major Reinado and his fellow AWOL military police officers are living, have been informed to cooperate with Reinado and his group. RUMORS DEBUNKED ¶7. (SBU) Rumors of FDTL soldiers, armed and dressed in civilian clothes, patrolling in the neighborhoods of senior GOET DILI 00000243 002.2 OF 002 officials appear to be false. During a meeting with police officials, EmbOff was informed that the police guarding the homes of these officials have neither observed nor received credible reports of any such patrols by civilians. ¶8. (SBU) The rumor of PNTL officers doling out large numbers of weapons to civilians is also not credible. Today, EmbOff personally reviewed the stocks of weapons at the PNTL armory and confirmed that there are no weapons missing. STEIN