FRETILIN’s Secretary General welcomes new UN Secretary General

FRETILIN

MEDIA RELEASE

Dili, 7 January 2010

FRETILIN’s Secretary General welcomes new UN Secretary General
Special Representative to Timor.

Yesterday, the 6th of January 2010, FRETILIN’s Secretary General Dr.
Mari Alkatiri received the new Special Representative of the UN
Secretary General to Timor-Leste, Ms. Ahmeerah Haq when she paid a
courtesy visit to his official residence in Farol, Dili.

Ms. Ahmeera Haq arrived in Timor-Leste on the 5th of January last,
first meeting with the President of the Republic, Ramos Horta
yesterday, and then immediately following meeting with Dr. Mari
Alkatiri.

Although it was a courtesy visit, the new SRSG and Dr. Alkatiri spoke
on a number of issues important to the people of Timor-Leste.

“We spoke on issues related to peace, stability and development in
Timor-Leste and how FRETILIN, Timor-Leste’s historic and largest party
is always ready to contribute to peace, stability and development in
our country,” said Dr. Alkatiri.

During the meeting, Ms. Haq told Dr. Alkatiri that “the people of
Timor-Leste are very lucky to have a party like FRETILIN as the
oppsition and someone like you as opposition leader, because you know
and demonstrate how to be a peaceful opposition and not use violence”,
unlike other opposition parties in other countries she has been to.

Dr Alkatiri stressed that FRETILIN has always been and continues
committed to strengthening peace, stability and development in
Timor-Leste, and that FRETILIN has always extended an open hand to
those who have genuinely desired to strive for peace, stability and
development of the Timor-Leste people.

“I reiterated to her that FRETILIN will do everything possible to make
the decade 2010-2020 one of peace, stability and development for the
people of Timor-Leste. Ms. Haq stated that a strong and credible
opposition such as FRETILIN is and has been important to building
governance systems and institutions that are strong and that the
people can have confidence in. I in turn made it clear that it is
important for us all to strengthen justice and to combat the sense of
impunity that has prevailed in our country during the last two or so
years in order to achieve sustainable peace, stability and development
for our people.”

“I reinforced that FRETILIN is concerned to eliminate the possibility
of other political groups resorting to manipulating the armed forces
and the national police to achieve their political ends. For this
reason the reform of the security and defence sectors are a priority
for FRETILIN. We need to find a national consensus to reform not only
the security and defence sectors, but also justice and public
administration to attain good governance in future in Timor-Leste.”

“Regarding the role of UNMIT until 2012, I told her that Timor-Leste
still needs assistance from the international community, but that we
need a way to avoid becoming dependent on the international
assistance. She stated that the UN would continue to provide
assistance principally in the security sector. FRETILIN welcomes
this,” Alkatiri stated.

The FRETILIN leader said that the new SRSG agreed to hold regular
weekly meetings with him to continue to promote dialogue and
consultation between UNMIT and FRETILIN. “It is important that the
majority and de facto opposition party has regular dialogue with the
United Nations, as I previously had with Mr. Atul Khare in his role as
the head of the UN mission, because it is a means for FRETILIN to
continue to contribute to peace, stability and development in
Timor-Leste and to support the UN and international community to
implement their mandates in Timor-Leste,” Alkatiri closed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT JOSE TEIXEIRA ON +670 728 7080