[East Timor is finally on the road to independence but there is still a long way to go. Following its first election, a constituent assembly is drafting the constitution that will decide this young nation's political future. For 25 years, the East Timorese associated politics with violence and killing. Adjusting to the idea that politics can be peaceful has been a struggle. Carmela Baranowska tells the story of two would-be politicians and the birth of a nation.]
Reporter: Carmela Baranowska
Fretilin formed East Timor's first independent government on 28 November, 1975, but it was short-lived. Nine days later, the Indonesian military invaded and Fretilin became the underground party of resistance. Now, three weeks before East Timor's first election, the country's largest political party is already confident of an overwhelming victory.
Crowd at rally: Viva Fretilin! Viva the East Timorese people! Fretilin's leaders address a rally in the district capital of Suai, a 10-hour drive south of Dili.
Rogerio Lobato at rally: Fretilin are the people, the people are Fretilin. All the leaders of Fretilin died during the war.
In 1975, Fretilin took power after a brief civil war. Now, it must rely on the ballot and compete for votes with 15 other parties. But Fretilin is convinced that its 24-year struggle for independence gives it an absolute mandate to govern.
Mari Alkatiri, Vice-President of Fretilin: Who will be the government of an independent East Timor? Fretilin. There is no other. So be careful.
Mari Alkatiri is vice-president of Fretilin and one of the few remaining leaders from the 1975 generation. He still embraces the party's former militancy. When we arrive in Dili, comrades, we all want 100%. 100%. So all 88 seats belong to us. On the 30th, we'll go to the vote. On the 31st, comrades, this is no joke, it's serious ... we'll all go out, broom in hand, or with other things, to clean our city, to clean our village, to clean our district and sub-district. To show that Fretilin has won ... and wants to start a new life. Alkatiri's boast will reverberate throughout the election campaign.
Mari Alkatiri: Thank you, comrades.
Politics has often meant killing in Suai – around 200 people died in the grounds of this church in 1999 – victims of the Indonesian military. Talk of a clean-up or sweep-out confuses and frightens many of the East Timorese. They used to hear the Indonesian military talk this way, with deadly consequences. International observers have arrived in Suai to ensure the election is carried out peacefully.
Adriano Do Nascimento, candidate for the Democratic Party: If you all are in Fretilin, how can we tell to you that we want you to have a democracy?
Adriano Nascimento used to be a member of Fretilin, but he's now a candidate for East Timor's newest party, the Democratic Party, or PD. He's a popular local leader who helped organise the campaign for independence.
Electoral observer: If there is intimidation by the opposition party?
Adriano Do Nascimento: Well, it's really not intimidation, but people are afraid, because people cannot translate what does it mean. I think you know, like sweep-out. Yes. Sweep-out, clean up. Yeah. So people are asking, what does it mean?
Constancia de Jesus is a Fretilin candidate from Suai. She's a mother of seven who has to organise her household with great care before she can begin to campaign. She expects the men, as well as the women, to help out. Her husband is the exception.
Filomeno Gomes, husband: I don't cook. I never cook. My wife does the cooking.
Reporter: You don't cook, sir?
Filomeno Gomes: I don't know how to.
Reporter: Why?
Filomeno Gomes: I'm not used to it. I'm not used to cooking.
Constancia De Jesus: In the future it would be good to be able to say that if women have equality, then men should be able to cook and participate in women's activities. So the men should do women's work. Women should also do men's work. They're also capable of farming...
Filomeno Gomes: It's not right yet for East Timorese women to say that.
Reporter: It's not right?
Filomeno Gomes: No. Women are women and men are men.
Reporter: But sir, your wife is standing for parliament. Is that right?
Filomeno Gomes: Yes, it is. She is a candidate for the Constitutional Assembly. Right.
Reporter: And after that she can become a member of parliament? Is that right?
Filomeno Gomes: Yes. To become an MP is to make legislation. To make the "mother law" for East Timor. Not to claim their rights. Women's rights are this, men's rights are that. To be in the Assembly is to make legislation. So what kind of legislation will be made for Timor? And those are my views. Thank you.
Constancia De Jesus: Twit. You just talk nonsense.
Filomeno Gomes: Since I married you, have I ever made you suffer? I recognise your rights. Women are women, men are men. According to our custom, we respect women more. More than men. Why would other countries think differently? Women have always been the owner of the house. Some of the women who become candidates just talk nonsense. For many years, Constancia was a leader in the underground resistance.
Constancia De Jesus: This is an historic land and is truly sacred. Fretilin has had a well-established program for the past 25 years. Its program consists of social welfare, development, schools, hospitals and so on. It's all included in the Fretilin program. Constancia is well known in communities throughout this district, a remote mountainous area close to Indonesian West Timor.
Constancia De Jesus: My fellow women, it's true that we women have the same rights as men. But those of us in the Fatumea area, in this traditional place, our rights cannot go beyond tradition. Our rights cannot go beyond tradition. If we are capable, we can become administrators of Suai. Because not only men have those rights. Women also have a right to that position. Women also have the right to govern. Not just men. This is called "rights". That's all I want to say. Thank you and I apologise if I have offended anyone, especially old mothers and all the old men. I apologise if I offended anyone. Thank you.
Many of the refugees who fled the militia violence in 1999 have returned to their villages. One of the new government's biggest challenges will be to provide them with adequate housing.
Constancia De Jesus: This is an emergency. The coordinator has to provide materials to house all these people. These huts will be dangerous in the rainy season. After I get to Dili, I will ask the area coordinator what he intends to do next.
First man in village: The international community has given us help, such as tin to build shelters, but what happened? It was distributed by those in charge, to their own relatives. While they build houses, we are given nothing. It's sad.
Constancia De Jesus: So in this situation, they didn't give you any tin sheets?
Second man in village: Look around, some of our people have just returned from refugee camps in West Timor. They have no shelter. I just made this simple grass hut and invited them to stay with us.
Constancia De Jesus: Those materials have been donated to help those in need, not to be given to those who can afford to buy them. So we are not working for our own families, but to help the poor, we have to look after them. Driving past and ignoring the poor is not right.
Adriano, the local Democratic Party candidate, knows there is enormous wealth here. Just offshore from Suai – the oil and gas fields for the Timor Gap. The proceeds from this resource, hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties, will need to be well managed if they are to pay for East Timor's future. But Adriano is just as concerned with East Timor's past, its traditions.
Adriano Do Nascimento: We can see there – the sacred place of your ancestors is there. In the ocean, the middle of the ocean. When they had their ceremonies, they used to come here and go out on the sea and throw betel nuts into the water. Adriano and his wife Clara are expecting their first child in a couple of weeks time.
Democratic Party member: Good afternoon to my aunties and uncles, brothers and sisters. Listen, look, and follow carefully. The Democratic Party is not forcing you or threatening you. It tells the truth. Look at what is true. Aunties and uncles, brothers and sisters, wait here tomorrow morning. The car will pick you up to go and listen to the program which the Democratic Party has prepared.
The Democratic Party was formed only two months ago. Many of its supporters are young and looking for an alternative to Fretilin. The East Timorese are not used to party politics. People here are reluctant, even afraid to speak out and Adriano invites the party supporters to question their leaders.
Adriano Do Nascimento: If you are scared to vote, scared to choose, ask them. If you're worried we will have to run away, ask them. If we're all feeling small and don't know much about politics, ask them, not me. We will give you time. If you are scared, ask them. That's all I want to say. When they speak, ask them. And I will also ask as I'm scared too.
Man: Many parties say that if you become a member of another party, your children won't get any education and your rice won't be sold. Where will you go? That's all I want to say. Thank you very much. Many people in Suai were scared by Fretilin's talk of a "clean-up" at its rally here a few weeks ago.
Lorenco Vicente Da Cruz: My name is Lorenco Vicente da Cruz. We don't understand what this clean-up means so we want an explanation directly from you. The war is over, but they still use the word "clean-up". We still don't understand.
Fernando De Araujo, President Democratic Party: Before, in the words of '75, the word "clean-up" meant to finish with all those who didn't share their ideology, who didn't agree with their politics. Now we can all say that we can accept and tolerate what happened because of their political immaturity and inexperience. After that time, we all had to learn. We believed that they had learnt more, but today they still have the same attitude, and that's no good.
Mariano Sabino Lopes, Secretary-General, Democratic Party: Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao told us in Los Palos "The Democratic Party is yours. Democracy is yours, freedom is yours. Don't be afraid if someone threatens you." Our big brother Xanana Gusmao will be with you, with the UN forces and East Timorese Army and will hunt them from the mountains to the oceans. Whoever is to drown, let him drown. Whoever created ... We've kicked the Indonesians out of here. We've kicked the enemy out of here. But we continue to use its words, its behaviour to intimidate and frighten the people. Just like the Indonesian military, like Kopassus. Let it happen. If it has to flood, let it flood.
Constancia has already spent more than a week campaigning away from home. Tonight, she's staying at her sister's house in the small village near the Indonesian border.
Constancia De Jesus: Today we have to show how we can create real democracy in East Timor. We should have numerous parties. One will be in power and if it can't look after the people or do the job, we can choose another party. In five years time we can choose another party because this one is no good. That's why we have different parties. Their existence will not cause more killings or force us to flee. It is not for the party members to come here and threaten you by saying "If you don't follow us, you will all be killed." No more threats. It's not like that. Democracy means everyone has the right to choose – freedom of choice. But especially this year, our first year of independence, we will choose Fretilin, because only it knows what suffering people have endured for more than 20 years. Only Fretilin can tell.
Man: From 1975 until 1999, we have been dying for no other reason than Fretilin, for the Fretilin flag which has been raised here. During those 24 years many people have suffered, in the bush, sleeping out in the rain, under the trees, in the mud. They suffered for Fretilin. People in other parties, like UDT or APODETI, didn't suffer.
It's 8 o'clock in the morning on election day in Suai. A few hours ago, Adriano's wife went into labour. REPORTER: Are you thinking about your wife at the moment?
Adriano Do Nascimento: Yes, I really do. My father too. My father cannot come and vote for me and my wife also cannot come and vote for me. So, I think I lose two voters, just because my father is sick, and my wife maybe will give birth - that's why they couldn't come. Despite being in labour, Clara is determined to vote.
Reporter: Are you going to vote?
Clara Maria Tilman, wife: Yes, now, because the afternoon's not good.
Reporter: Does Adriano want you to go?
Clara Maria Tilman: Yes. But he wants to go in the afternoon. I want to go right now.
UN electoral official to Clara: Now sister can go there. If you're not feeling well, go over there. You can go straight to number three.
Clara has been in labour for almost 30 hours, and Adriano's family are preparing to take her to the hospital in Suai. It's not unusual for women to die in childbirth here. There's no midwife in Adriano's village, and there are few cars.
Adriano Do Nascimento: I'm glad she's given birth. Looks like her mother.
Man: The 31st of August she was born. Yesterday would have been better.
Woman: Yesterday she forced herself to vote. She even had labour pains.
Man: Even in pain she went to cast her vote. The baby was born at exactly the same time as the "clean-up".
Fretilin is celebrating its victory, but the festivities are low key. This was not the clean sweep party leaders had promised. Fretilin has won 43 seats – 60% of the total vote. Constancia's position on the party list was 43, making her the last Fretilin candidate into the constituent assembly. The Democratic Party has won 7 seats, making it the second largest party. Adriano wasn't elected, but he has bigger things on his mind.
Adriano Do Nascimento: It's unbelievable, the process, you know, and I was sad to see my wife's face, you know, at the time she was trying hard to give birth, and the nurses encouraged her – "Keep going, keep going, Clara, come on, so I just lay down my head on her head, and just pray I win the election! I win the election. Why? Because it is also your election, you know.
Reporter: Why?
Adriano Do Nascimento: When my wife give birth, it was also election between death and life ... so I win. Hopefully, my girl will be powerful in following me.