Dili – Some members of East Timor's ruling party Fretilin were accused of waging a dirty tricks campaign to try to reduce the vote for independence hero Xanana Gusmao in this month's presidential election.
"We have received information from most of the districts documenting these allegations," said Milena Pires, Gusmao's campaign coordinator.
She said some Fretilin members – not necessarily on instructions from the leadership – had been telling Gusmao's supporters they should either vote for his rival, Francisco Xavier do Amaral, or not vote at all. "There are other reports that people are being told to mark the ballot paper in different places [to spoil the vote]," Pires told AFP.
She said Gusmao's campaign was documenting the reports and was concerned about them but had not yet decided whether to complain to the Independent Electoral Commission.
The April 14 election will be only the second free vote for East Timorese after more than three centuries of Portuguese colonisation and 24 years of often brutal Indonesian rule.
"People are starting to understand the importance of casting their vote and how they should vote," Pires said. "It's fairly serious, if these reports are correct, that rather than build on this process, it is going in the opposite direction." She said she did not believe that Amaral, who is not officially backed by Fretilin, was involved in any way. "We don't question his integrity."
Fretilin spokesmen could not immediately be reached for comment. The party won 57 percent of the vote in elections last August and will form the future government.
Gusmao is hugely popular and is expected to win the presidential poll regardless of any interference.
One analyst said the dirty tricks campaign might be an attempt to trim the size of his majority to reduce his moral authority as president of the territory, which becomes independent on May 20.
Fretilin's military wing headed by Gusmao led armed resistance to Indonesian rule but Gusmao, 56, has since distanced himself from the party. He was nominated by nine political parties, but not Fretilin, on his condition that he would only run as an independent.
Many of Gusmao's supporters complained during a rally at Maubessi on Sunday that some people had threatened them if they vote for him. At two other rallies on Monday in Same and Ainaro supporters also complained of intimidation. They told Gusmao that after the election they would hide in the jungle for fear of reprisals.
The presidency is a largely ceremonial post under the new constitution with the government led by future Fretilin prime minister Mari Alkatiri holding executive power.