Michelle Grattan – Australians could be in East Timor by late next month as part of a United Nations contingent helping to plan for a July-August election on independence.

The UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, said at the weekend that a team would go as soon as autonomy proposals were finalised, hopefully in late April. "We would want [an] Australian contribution," he said.

Australia, together with many other countries, had already been approached, he told SBS television. Mr Annan said it was not yet known whether the contingent would be military, police or just a political presence. It would build up closer to the ballot.

The Foreign Minister, Mr Downer, said yesterday: "We hope it won't be necessary to send in a peacekeeping force."

While Australia was planning for a range of contingencies, "what we hope will be necessary is to send administrative assistance, observers, some technical assistance, perhaps some people to assist with policing functions".

"We obviously hope that the sort of contribution that the UN will make will only need to be a relatively low-level confidence-building contribution.

"It will be important to have some UN people there to help provide confidence for the East Timorese that the ballots, if that is the way it is going to work, or the consultation process, however it works, works well." No indication of numbers from Australia was available.

Mr Downer said negotiations on the autonomy package should be finished about April 21-24. Mr Annan expected the ballot would be in July-August.

The Foreign Minister met Mr Annan in January and the head of the Foreign Affairs Department, Mr Ashton Calvert, met him about a fortnight ago. There have also been detailed talks between officials.

"We haven't really talked with him about a peacekeeping force," Mr Downer said. "What we've talked through is ... the broader question of the need for UN involvement. The type of UN involvement will depend on the types of needs that there are on the ground." He said Darwin would be an important logistical support base for a UN presence.

Separately from the UN operation, two Australian AusAID officers arrived in East Timor on Saturday to assess food and medical needs.

Mr Annan said the Indonesians had reaffirmed that the detained resistance leader Xanana Gusmao would be released as part of the settlement. "So I am hoping he will be free before the actual vote takes place."