Christine T. Tjandraningsih, Dili – UN-administered East Timor's transitional government Thursday swore a new cabinet comprised mostly of figures from a long-established political party that won last month's election.

UN Transitional Administrator in East Timor Sergio Vieira de Mello, announcing the lineup, said the cabinet has 10 ministers, three secretaries of state and seven vice ministers.

It consists of nine representatives from the Revolutionary Front for the Liberation of East Timor (Fretilin), two members of the Democratic Party, Fretilin's closest rival, and nine members not affiliated with any party. De Mello said they were selected "not on the basis of party nominations but on the basis of their individual competence."

The nine politically independent figures in the cabinet, he said, were chosen "because of their proven sectoral expertise and their demonstrated dedication and patriotism with as broad a geographical representation as was possible."

In the August 30 election for the Constituent Assembly, Fretilin, the party that spearheaded East Timor's 24-year armed resistance against Indonesia, garnered 57.3% of the vote to secure 55 seats in the 88-seat body. The Democratic Party won seven seats.

Among the cabinet members from Fretilin are Chief Minister and Economy and Development Minister Mari Alkatiri, Justice Minister Ana Maria da Silva Pinto, and Internal Administration Minister Antoninho Bianco. They also include Secretary of State of the Council of Ministers Gregorio Ferreira de Sousa and Secretary of State for Natural and Mineral Resources Egidio Jesus.

While Alkatiri leads the transitional government, it is still under the ultimate authority of de Mello pending full independence sometime next year.

The independents include Senior Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Jose Ramos-Horta and Finance Minister Fernanda Mesquita Borges.

The Democratic Party's members in the cabinet are Secretary of State for Labor and Solidarity Fernando de Araujo and Vice Minister for Internal Administration Joao Soares Martins. Despite failing to accommodate other parties in his cabinet, Alkatiri said national unity is essential "for the future success of our country."

"National unity and, consequently, stability will not be guaranteed by a formal agreement between the leadership of parties or by appointing party leaders to government posts," he said. "National unity can only ensured if it is entrenched in every strata and sector of our society."

Alkatiri also stressed the importance of normalizing relations with neighboring Indonesia. "The reconciliation process is decisive and has an immense influence in reinforcing national cohesion," he said.