Mark Dodd – The Nobel laureate Bishop Carlos Belo has indicated support for a Fretilin victory at the election for a Constituent Assembly on August 30.

Party faithful, diplomats and United Nations officials who attended a Fretilin congress a fortnight ago were almost unanimous in saying that Bishop Belo's presence amounted to tacit support for the party that led the 24-year struggle to end Indonesian rule.

He told the congress he was not present in an official church capacity or as a member or supporter of Fretilin, but as someone who had been invited twice before to attend a Fretilin congress but had been unable to.

He acknowledged Fretilin's revolutionary credentials, but urged it to become a modern democratic political force. "You must fight against corruption, nepotism, violence and poverty," he said. Analysts believe Fretilin could win up to two-thirds of the vote.