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UN voter registration criticized

Source
Kyodo News - July 17, 1999 (abridged)

Sugianto Tandra, Balibo – The UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) is facing its first protest over voter registration for an August ballot on the territory's future as pro-Indonesia figures criticized Saturday registration requirements as being "unreasonably strict."

Speaking to 6,000 people attending an annual "Integration Day" ceremony in Balibo, Bobonaro Regent Guilherme Do Santos urged villagers to boycott the registration if UNAMET remains insensitive to his concerns.

"One citizenship ID card should be enough to register. If there is another requirement, Bobonaro people can just as well not register," Guilherme said to thunderous applause.

To the dismay of some villagers, UNAMET has asked them to produce two ID cards when registering. During its information campaign, UNAMET said only one of eight permissible ID cards would be sufficient.

Another pro-Indonesia figure, Eurico Guterres of the Aitarak militia group, raised a similar concern. "They (UNAMET) have caused more problems to villagers. The villagers will have to spend more money for the other ID cards ... this can't be justified at all," he told journalists.

Bobonaro is a regency to the southwest of the capital Dili with a population of around 91,000. In Indonesia's June 7 general election, more than 45,000 people there were deemed eligible to vote.

During the registration, villagers are asked to show their ID card and one other document to authenticate their eligibility. The registration period will last 20 days.

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