Sara Everingham reported this story on Friday, May 20, 2011 - ABC NEWS
EMILY BOURKE: The East Timorese prime minister has lashed out at the United Nations Mission in East Timor, suggesting UN staff leave his country.
In a fiery response to a UN leaked document accusing him of being an obstacle to democracy Xanana Gusmao proposed the UN mission in East Timor be wound up and its staff be sent to the Middle East to support democracy there.
He's also fired a broadside at aid-donating countries like Australia saying the billions of donated dollars have failed to produce any physical development and conversely created even more poverty.
The United Nations has distanced itself from the document and says its relationship with East Timor's government is strong.
But it's not the first time the government and the UN have been at odds in recent months.
Sara Everingham reports.
SARA EVERINGHAM: Today East Timor marks nine years since independence from Indonesia. But in recent days it's Timor's relationship with the United Nations that's been under question.
During a speech in Dili this week East Timor's prime minister Xanana Gusmao lashed out at the UN mission in East Timor.
He questioned the advice of experts working for the United Nations mission and suggested they should instead offer their services to countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
Xanana Gusmao hasn't held back from criticising the international community and the UN in recent times.
In this speech he said donor countries including Australia had spent the equivalent of $8 billion in East Timor over eight years to 2008 but that poverty in the country increased.
An associate professor in politics at Swinburne University Michael Leach says it's another sign East Timor is keen to stand on its own two feet.
MICHAEL LEACH: The government has taken the view that, and it's expressed it at various times that while they appreciate the international assistance that's been going on since independence, that perhaps there hasn't been as much to show for that assistance as some might think over time.
They certainly are looking forward to taking full control of, they are a sovereign nation.
SARA EVERINGHAM: In his speech Xanana Gusmao was responding to a leaked UN document criticising his leadership.
It stated the prime minister was seeking power at the expense of the judiciary and the parliament.
Associate professor Michael Leach again:
MICHAEL LEACH: The UN internal report was referring to some very large funds, the infrastructure and human capital development funds, some $420 million which has been taken out of the national budget and won't be subject to the usual routine scrutiny of the Timorese parliament.
And so the internal report was referring to a creep if you like towards executive forms of power, away from legislative oversight by the parliament.
So that's what in a sense and a couple of other things that the report is referring to.
On the other hand as I say Xanana Gusmao was as president very encouraging of other opposition parties when the first government took office.
SARA EVERINGHAM: The document was written by an employee of the UN mission and part of a presentation at a UN meeting in January this year.
This week it was published by an East Timorese newspaper.
The chief communications officer with the UN peacekeeping mission Sandra McGuire says it does not reflect the views of the mission.
SANDRA MCGUIRE: So the document that the media drew from is in no way an official document or official position; in no way reflects the views and opinions of the peacekeeping mission's leadership.
SARA EVERINGHAM: In his speech the prime minister vigorously defended his record of fostering democracy in East Timor.
East Timor's president Jose Ramos-Horta has also leapt to the prime minister's defence calling the document pseudo analysis.
Dr Ramos-Horta says many UN staff in East Timor don't speak the local language and rarely mix with East Timorese.
But the mission's Sandra McGuire says overall the UN's relationship with East Timor's government is strong.
SANDRA MCGUIRE: We have a very strong relationship with the prime minister's office, the president's office and with the parliamentarians. And we have very strong channels for communicating our ideas and our views.
SARA EVERINGHAM: This row comes just months after East Timor's government criticised a crucial UN report on progress in East Timor.
The government accused the UN of producing a report based on out-dated data. The United Nations is planning to withdraw from East Timor by the end of next year.
But before then the UN will help oversee elections in East Timor.
Associate professor Michael Leach says these latest developments won't help but believes all parties will be able to work together to ensure smooth elections.
MICHAEL LEACH: I suspect that these issues will be resolved. But certainly it's a high point in the tension that we've seen in the last week.
EMILY BOURKE: Michael Leach from Swinburne University ending Sara Everingham's report.
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