Fretilin Party Secretary-General Mari Alkatiri has guaranteed there would be no radical behaviour on the part of his party as Fretilin were no longer a communist or socialist party.

The party's economic policies were proof of this as they support capitalism and personal ownership, plan to invite foreign investors from Indonesia and Australia to put their capital into Timor Lorosae and they also hope to become a member of ASEAN.

This statement was made by the Covalima Coordinator for the General Reconciliation Forum, Helio Caetano Moniz, in Kupang on Sunday, citing comments by Mari Alkatiri after they met in Dili this week.

Helio went to East Timor to represent the 18,000 refugees from Suai, Covalima still residing in camps in Betun, Belu district, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) after being invited by UNTAET Head Sergio Vieira de Mello to meet with him from 20-24 August.

He also met with the Fretilin secretary-general, political party members participating in the elections, dozens of youth organization members and community and religious figures from Suai to discuss reconciliation and plans for the repatriation of refugees from Suai...

During the Dili meetings amnesty was also brought up. Former PPI [Timorese Integration Forces] members want general amnesty for all former militia members but in Timor Lorosae they believe reconciliation could only be achieved after due legal process and feel they were oppressed for 24 years during integration with Indonesia.

However, it was later determined during the discussions that there was a possibility for amnesty sometime during the process as a number of [East Timorese] political parties were in favour of amnesty for the major cases including PNT [Timorese Nationalist Party] and PD [Democratic Party]...

[Source: Satunet web site, Jakarta, in Indonesian August 26.]