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Returning to normality in Timor-Leste, 9 May 2006
Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri, said Tuesday, May 9, in a press
conference, that "life is returning to normal throughout
the country". He stated that all the public services are
working normally and that all the pillars of the State (President
of Republic, National Parliament, Government, and Courts of Law)
are performing in full their functions, and concluded by enouncing:
"The State is performing all its duties."
In the Press Conference were also the Senior Minister and Minister
for State Administration, Ana Pessoa, the Minister in the Presidency
of the Council of Ministers, Antoninho Bianco, and the Minister
for Labour and Community Reintegration, Arsénio Bano. Prime
Minister explained that after the violence of April 28 and the
panicked population in the capital, which caused the population
to leave Dili, today the situation is calmer throughout the nation.
At Gleno, Ermera district, where yesterday the office of the
Secretary of State for the Coordination of Region III (Dili, Aileu
and Ermera), Egídio de Jesus, was surrounded for a few
hours, by hundreds of youngsters, the Timor-Leste's National Police
is controlling the situation. During the police operation that
put term to this situation (which included members of special
police force UIR and URP) one policeman was killed, one is seriously
injured and another one has minor injuries. Meanwhile, more then
70 people have been already detained by the police for questioning.
Prime Minister also said that some precaution measures had been
implemented in Liquiçá district, due to the spread
of a rumour that the same situation would be repeated in Liquiçá.
In Aileu, where there are lots of refugees and some members of
the Military Police that quit the force and left Dili, there are
no problems.
Mari Alkatiri also pointed out that in Maliana the Government
is meeting a group of 42 former militaries to discuss forms of
humanitarian support and reintegration back into their respective
communities.
Now, according to the Prime Minister, the Government's main preoccupation
is to manage the post traumatic situation of the population, by
setting up the necessary conditions for their return to their
homes. The Prime Minister again urged Army and PNTL members that
joined the "petitioners" to "continuing not using
guns". And said that the authors of the problems are "those
that entered the 'petitioners' group and are making political
and anti-democratic claims". Mari Alkatiri reminded that
"the democratic process is made via elections and not coups".
For him, the situation in Timor-Leste was an attempt of a constitutional
coup d'État, with the aim of blocking the democratic institutions,
preventing them to function in a way that the only solution would
be for National Parliament to be dissolved by the President of
Republic, which would provoke the fall of the Government.
The Prime Minister underlined the need of the State to be firm,
and mentioned that the Government has shown tolerance - in Gleno
the police did not shoot against the unruly crowd - and concluded
by stating that it is the will of the Government to put an end
to the violence.
Regarding the possibility of the Timorese Government to ask for
international support to control de situation Prime Minister said:
"Now, we control the situation, but if, at any given moment,
we conclude otherwise then we would accept our friends' assistance."
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