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DATE=6/2/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-250102
TITLE=INDONESIA ELECTION / EAST TIMOR
BYLINE=JENNY GRANT
DATELINE=JAKARTA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:  
INTRO:  ASIA'S LARGEST PRIVATE ELECTION MONITORING GROUP SAYS A 
SMOOTH GENERAL ELECTION IN EAST TIMOR IS ESSENTIAL, IF THERE IS 
TO BE A FAIR AUTONOMY REFERENDUM IN THE TROUBLED TERRITORY IN 
AUGUST.  JENNY GRANT REPORTS FROM JAKARTA THE CAPITAL WAS IN A 
CARNIVAL MOOD, AS INDONESIA ENTERS ITS LAST DAYS OF ELECTION 
CAMPAIGNING.
TEXT:  EVELYN SERANNO, THE COORDINATOR FOR THE ASIAN NETWORK FOR 
FREE ELECTIONS SAYS THE JUNE SEVENTH ELECTION WILL BE A BAROMETER
FOR THE REFERENDUM ON THE FUTURE OF EAST TIMOR TWO-MONTHS LATER.
                         // ACT SERANNO //
 WE SEE THIS ELECTION AS VERY CRITICAL FOR THE EAST TIMOR PEOPLE.
WHATEVER HAPPENS IN THESE ELECTIONS, IF THE PEOPLE ARE 
TRAUMATIZED OR THREATENED OR HARASSED THEN THE NEXT EVENT, WHICH 
IS THE REFERENDUM ON AUGUST EIGHTH, PEOPLE MIGHT STILL HAVE THAT 
KIND OF TRAUMA AND THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT 
WHEN THAT DATE HAPPENS.
                         // ACT ENDS //
THE ASIAN NETWORK IS SENDING ITS BIGGEST SINGLE DELEGATION OF 
FIVE PEOPLE TO MONITOR THE GENERAL ELECTION IN EAST TIMOR, EVEN 
THOUGH THE ORGANIZATION DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE TERRITORY AS A 
PART OF INDONESIA.  EUROPEAN, AMERICAN, AND AUSTRALIAN MONITORS 
ARE NOT TRAVELLING TO EAST TIMOR.
ON ELECTION DAY, 500 FOREIGN ELECTION OBSERVERS WILL MONITOR 
POLLING STATIONS AROUND INDONESIA AND SCRUTINIZE THE OFFICIAL 
COUNT.  AT THE SAME TIME, THEY WILL ALSO TABULATE THEIR OWN 
PARALLEL COUNT WITH THE NATIONAL MONITORING AGENCY.
MS. SERANNO SAYS HER ORGANIZATION WANTS TO HAVE A PRESENCE NEXT 
WEEK, PARTICULARLY IN EAST TIMOR, TO GIVE MORAL SUPPORT TO 
VOTERS.  SHE SAYS HER ORGANIZATION HAS ALREADY RECEIVED 
INFORMATION THAT LOCAL PARAMILITARY GROUPS ARE FORCING EAST 
TIMORESE TO SIGN DOCUMENTS STATING THEIR ALLEGIANCE TO INDONESIA.
THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE U-N MISSION IN EAST TIMOR, DAVID WIMHURST, 
SAYS THE MISSION HAS RECEIVED REPORTS FROM ACROSS EAST TIMOR OF 
INTIMIDATION, VIOLENCE, AND MURDERS.
                    // ACT RALLYING SOUNDS //
BUT DESPITE PREDICTIONS OF WIDESPREAD VIOLENCE BEFORE THE 
ELECTIONS, THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN GENERALLY PEACEFUL.  THERE WAS A 
FESTIVE MOOD ON THE STREETS OF JAKARTA.  PEOPLE SPILLED OUT ONTO 
THE STREETS FOR THEIR LAST DAYS OF CAMPAIGNING.
MORE THAN 100-THOUSAND PEOPLE STOPPED TRAFFIC, AND STRUNG BANNERS
ACROSS THE MAIN ROUNDABOUT IN THE CITY.
MOST OF THE CAMPAIGNERS WERE FROM THE "NATIONAL AWAKENING PARTY" 
AND THE "MUSLIM JUSTICE PARTY".
THERE ARE TWO MORE DAYS OF CAMPAIGNING, AFTER WHICH INDONESIANS 
WILL HAVE A TWO-DAY COOLING OFF PERIOD BEFORE HEADING TO THE 
POLLING STATIONS MONDAY.   (SIGNED)
NEB/JG/GC/FC/RAE
02-Jun-99 7:11 AM EDT (1111 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.