FRETILIN MP FRANCISCO BRANCO: UNMIT “WASHING HANDS” OF REPORT CRITICIZING XANANA

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By Manuel da Silva - Jornal Independente Wednesday, 8 June 2011 - TRANSLATION FROM TETUM

Dili – Statements by UNMIT blaming a Timorese staff member as having authored the report stating that Xanana Gusmao is an obstacle to the development of democracy is aimed at creating a wedge between Timorese.

The deputy SRSG of the UN in Timor-Leste Finn Rieske-Nelson, said that the document in question was written by a Timorese in UNMIT.

According to MP Francisco Branco from the FRETILIN parliamentary group, the statement by the UNMIT deputy head shows that UNMIT wants to wash its hands of the issue and create a wedge between Timorese.

The opposition MP considers that the UNMIT statement is aimed at creating a wedge between Timorese, in saying that a Timorese UN staffer from a political party wrote the document.

“How they react to the pressure they are under, and whether or not they decide to apologize is a matter for them, but to then say that a Timorese person authored the document is creating a wedge between us Timorese,” Branco said in parliament yesterday.

Branco added, that we should look at the issue in hierarchical terms, because rightly the head of UNMIT should accept final responsibility for the actions of their staff inside UNMIT.

It should not wash its hands and blame their staff who have no decision making power within UNMIT.

UNMIT should have more ethical standards to secure its professionalism (should not identify its staff members publicly) whenever there is the likelihood that there may be some threat against the person.

According to him, the Timorese staff members should not concern themselves with the criticisms because Timor-Leste is a democratic nation where people have the right to freely express their views.

“If it happens that this government has the tendency to act outside the constitution and law, that means it is anti-democratic,” Branco said.

Because of this Branco said that in his point of view, what the UNMIT document stated in this regard is in accordance with the facts from their evaluation of the situation in Timor-Leste.

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