EAST TIMOR: INDEPENDENCE REFERENDUM: VOTING BEGINS

Описание: (30 Aug 1999) Indonesian/Nat

The people of East Timor have been casting their ballots in the colony's historic independence referendum.

Voters queued up as dawn broke eagerly awaiting the opportunity to cast their ballot.

The United Nations has said that roughly half of the registered electorate turned out to vote in the first thirty minutes of the ballot.

The U-N's voting observers have been busy making preparations to ensure voting takes place in as safe and secure environment as possible.

They are hopeful the recent surges in violence won't deter some voters from turning up at polling stations with Indonesian security forces in the territory remaining on high alert.

More than 451-thousand voters, including East Timorese living abroad, have registered for the chance to weigh in on whether the territory stays part of Indonesia as an autonomous region or gains independence.

Dawn broke in the streets of Dili on Monday as East Timorese awoke to usher in a day of destiny in their history.

The island has seen some of the worst violence in its recent troubled history and some doubted they would ever see the day when the island's population would be allowed to vote to determine their homeland's future.

But people queued up in the early morning hours before polling stations opened, waiting for their chance to embrace the democratic process.

Some stations opened one hour before the official starting time of 7 am local to accommodate the rush of voters.

This polling station in Dili is one of the 850 centres across the territory which will administer the vote.

There were some hopeful signs that the recent violence that has wracked the colony in the run up to the vote might be contained.

East Timor's rival pro- and anti-independence leaders agreed to keep armed supporters off the streets and allow the ballot to proceed peacefully in a U-N-brokered peace deal on Sunday.

The agreement came after turmoil threatened to cast derail the ballot in the final days of the campaigning.

The territory's warring factions had already signed a peace pact in April and agreed to surrender their weapons to the police in June.

But the deaths of at least 10 people in street battles between opponents of Jakarta's rule and pro-Jakarta militia in the last few days cast doubt over the effectiveness of such agreements.

United Nations officials who are overseeing the process unloaded ballots and other materials as eager voters watched from their position in line.

More than 451-thousand voters, including 13-thousand East Timorese living abroad, have registered to take part.

Indonesian security forces say they will remain on high alert during the voting, setting up road blocks and arresting anyone caught with weapons.

But they, themselves, have been accused of corroborating with the militia after failing to stem violence against locals sympathetic to the independence cause - a charge the Indonesian police have strongly denied.

Dozens have been killed in violent clashes this year and an estimated 60-thousand have fled their homes in fear.

But for others, this is the day they've been waiting nearly 30 years for.

SOUNDBITE: (Bahasa Indonesian)
"I was born here (in East Timor) and I'm going to stay here, no matter what."
SUPER CAPTION: Vox pop, voter

SOUNDBITE: (Portuguese)
"I believe that East Timor should be free so I voted for independence and I know that's what the people want."
SUPER CAPTION: Vox pop, voter


After already twice delaying the ballot date due to security risks, UNAMET was this time insistent that voting took place on Monday.



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