Tuesday 6 October 2009

President Jose Ramos-Horta staff organise a Support Protest. Mari Alkatiri Protests in Response.

There is a plan for a demonstration in support of President Jose Ramos-Horta. According to Tempo Semanal sources within the Palacio das Presidencia about 150 young people will meet the President at Dili airport tomorrow. Horta has been on a trip to the United States and other countries since 20 September. In September the National Parliament initially voted against letting Horta leave the country, but surrendered after he threatened to resign.

The Parliament's vote was a protest after the Head of State and leading members of the Government elected to release detained Laksaur militia commander Maternus Bere. This demonstration is creating a division within Timorese society.

Some people say that those in President's Horta's office are trying to win the President's heart.

According to a report from the Presidential Palace that between 1315 and 1540 on about 1 October the Secretary-General of FRETILIN called one of the Presidential staff to complain abou the demo in support of Horta. Former Prime Minister, and Secretary-General of FRETILIN, Mari Alkatiri, alleged that 5 advisers in the Presidential Palace are organising the demo. According to the same letter "he will not allow any FRETILIN youth to participate in our activity, and FRETILIN will mobilise their youth against us in the same day. In the same letter as quoted from the phone conversation between Alkatiri and he President's staff that the President should not "plan this activity."

On the same day PNTL officer in the President's staff Ismail Babo, former disgraced PNTL Deputy Commissioner of Operations during the 2006 Crisis, wrote the Timorese Police Commander Longuinos Monteiro to complain about Alkatiri.

No comments: