Jill Jolliffe, Dili – A group of dissidents has accused the governing Fretilin party of trying to usurp democracy and remain in power for five years beyond its elected mandate.

The Group to Defend Democracy, Peace and Stability has staged a series of small but rowdy demonstrations, and says UN inaction is legitimising the Fretilin push. The latest demonstration this week outside the UN's headquarters called for early elections, less than six months after the vote of August 30 last year. "We didn't fight for this result ... We don't want an authoritarian system," said 36-year-old Lucia Lobato, an opposition Social Democrat party deputy.

The group has written to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan over their concerns, and have the public support of Bishop Carlos Belo.

At issue is article 151 of the draft constitution, the working document of the 88-seat Constituent Assembly elected by last year's vote. It allows those elected – who in this case are overwhelmingly from Fretilin – to perpetuate their own power for up to five years. Fretilin has confirmed that when it reaches article 151 it will set the period for the changeover from constituent to Legislative Assembly at the maximum permitted, five years from now.

Many East Timorese believed when they voted last August that the deputies they were electing had to abandon power after they approved East Timor's first democratic constitution to make way for a parliament to run the country.

Nancy Lutz, a field officer for the Carter Centre, the American human rights watchdog, said that soon after last year's poll, her organisation issued a report that was "very critical" of voter education, stating that people did not know what they were voting for.

At a press briefing last week, UN administrator Sergio Vieira de Mello said the dissidents had the option of lobbying for early elections once article 151 was passed. He said that some of the dissidents had earlier supported the idea of the Constituent Assembly transforming itself into a legislature.

Proposals call for parliamentary elections to be held with the presidential elections on April 14, or on May 30.