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UNTAET Daily Briefing 22 Jun 2001

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Dili, 22 June 2001
KING ABDULLAH II VISITS JORDANIANS IN EAST TIMOR

King Abdullah II of Jordan today conducted a six-hour visit to East Timor during which he visited with members of the Jordanian Rapid Response and Peacekeeping contingents in Baucau and Oecussi districts. The King was greeted on his arrival at Baucau airport by SRSG Sergio Vieira de Mello, Force Commander Lt. Gen. Boonsrang Niumpradit, and Cabinet Member for Foreign Affairs José Ramos-Horta, among others. After inspecting the 120-strong Jordanian Rapid Response Unit and members of the Thai contingent, the delegation flew to Oecussi, where the King met with members of the 650-strong Jordanian Peacekeeping battalion and Oecussi district officials.

THREE MORE DAYS FOR SUBMISSION OF CANDIDATE LISTS

The deadline for presenting national and district party candidate nomination lists to the Independent Electoral Commission in Dili has been extended from Sunday, 24 June to Wednesday, 27. "I must emphasise that you should regard this new deadline as an absolute one which will not be subject to any further changes," Chief Electoral Officer Carlos Valenzuela wrote in a letter sent today to the political parties. This extension of the deadline is a direct result of the Transitional Administrator's decision to extend the Civil Registration process for a period of three days, according to the procedures for the nomination of candidates. So far, 12 political parties have been officially registered with the Independent Electoral Commission and four of them have presented their lists of candidates for the 30 August elections for the Constituent Assembly.

OVER 775,000 EAST TIMORESE REGISTERED

Nearly 96 per cent - 775,602 people - of East Timor's estimated population has been registered by UNTAET's Civil Registration Unit as of yesterday, 21 June. Registration has now ended in all 13 districts of East Timor, except the city of Dili, where it has been extended through Saturday, 23 June. An estimated 900 people registered in the city of Dili today, an indication that the process has virtually been completed.

EMERGENCY FOOD SUPPLIES REACH LAUTEM FLOOD VICTIMS

Relief workers today distributed additional emergency food supplies to displaced people in Lautem district, in the eastern part of East Timor, following heavy flash floods that swept the area earlier this week. National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) officials say the food supplies will be sufficient to feed the estimated 900 registered flood victims for up to one week. One hundred and forty-five of these displaced East Timorese are being housed in emergency shelters set up by United Nations specialized agencies and Peacekeeping Forces in Lospalos town. Road access from Baucau town to Lautem district has been severed by major flood damage at Sika village on the north coast. Engineers from the Peacekeeping Force are currently assessing this road damage for emergency repair. However, NEOC officials say it may take up to a month for the road to be fully functional again.

Further heavy rains forecast for today have not materialized, allowing NEOC officials to assess the damage in previously isolated sub-districts. Specialized agencies are now beginning a detailed assessment to examine the longer-term rehabilitation and reconstruction needs caused by the flooding. The Korean Peacekeeping contingent in the area has been providing support in setting up relief and protection centers, supplying food, blankets and medical support, and in rescuing people from isolated areas.

UNTAET RADIO DISTRICT REPORTERS' TRAINING ENDS

UNTAET Radio Unit today completed a month-long training course resulting in ten East Timorese becoming its district reporters. The ten people are from Oecussi, Suai, Maliana and Viqueque districts. The training course in UNTAET's Information Building in Dili focused on journalistic themes including news coverage and writing, conducting interviews, radio technique, electoral, and human rights and ethics issues. The reporters will now return to their respective districts to start work with six-month contracts with UNTAET Radio. Each district will receive two motorcycles, one computer, microphones, tape recorder, pens, and paper to support their activities. The training was funded by a USAID grant of US $59,000.

EAST TIMORESE APPOINTED AS HEAD OF ENVIRONMENT UNIT

Jorge Rui de Carvalho from East Timor was appointed the new Director of the Environment Protection Unit (EPU) of the East Timor Transitional Administration on Monday, 18 June. De Carvalho, who is replacing an United Nations international civil servant, has been working as a civil servant in a level 6 position at ETTA since last May. The international staff member remains Senior Advisor of the EPU.