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OO RUEHCHI RUEHNH RUEHPB
DE RUEHDT #0243/01 1391111
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O P 191111Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY DILI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2543
INFO RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0421
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHXX/GENEVA IO MISSIONS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 0478
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON PRIORITY 0405
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0259
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0273
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 0344
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 0145
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI 1864

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DILI 000243 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MTS; USPACOM FOR JOC AND POLAD; JOINT STAFF FOR J5 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  5/18/2016 
TAGS: ASEC PGOV MARR KDEM TT
SUBJECT: EAST TIMOR SITREP FOR MAY 19, 2006 
 
 
DILI 00000243  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Sean Stein, Charge de Affairs, Embassy Dili, 
State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b) 
LIFE IN DILI 
 
¶1. (U) The city continues to return to normal and there were 
several reports of additional refugees returning to Dili 
Transportation was functioning normally; schools and markets 
were open.  Despite a heavy security presence, restaurants in 
the immediate area around the party congress were open.  There 
were 60 empty seats on outgoing flights. 
 
ALKATIRI WINS FRETILIN ELECTION UNOPPOSED 
 
¶2. (U) After informally announcing he would not run for Fretilin 
Party Secretary-General last night, the absence of Jose Luis 
Guterres (aka Lugu) and his closest supporters from the Fretilin 
Party Congress this morning was a clear indication that Prime 
Minister Alkatiri would be reelected unopposed.  In an official 
press conference at noon, Lugu stated that he was withdrawing 
from the race for Secretary-General in protest of the lack of 
transparency and democratic principles at the congress. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The official nomination speech for Alkatiri was 
delivered by none other than Minister of the Interior Rogerio 
Lobato.  Dressed entirely in white, the former diamond smuggler 
praised the Central Committee for its "exemplary transparency" 
and noted that the congress had been observed by opposition 
parties and internationals.  Lobato smugly announced the number 
of delegates supporting Alkatiri's nomination from each 
district, claiming that the signatures had been obtained through 
political savvy rather than strong-arm tactics.  In total, 
Alkatiri's nomination was supported by 88% of the delegates. 
 
¶4. (U) Speaking to the delegates before the vote, Alkatiri 
criticized Guterres for not attending the final day of the 
congress and accused him of attempting to buy votes and ignoring 
the will of the people.  However, in his victory speech, he 
acknowledged Guterres as a founding member of Fretilin and 
appealed for party unity in the 2007 election campaign. 
Alkatiri asked that the issue of voting by secret ballot be 
revisited and, in a third and final poll, the decision to vote 
by a show of hands was readopted with near unanimity.  In the 
official vote for Secretary General, out of the 566 delegates 
present, 555 voted for Alkatiri, 5 voted against, and 11 
delegates abstained.  The poll was immediately followed by 
cheers of "Viva Alkatiri!" from the crowd. 
 
FRETILIN CONGRESS SHENANIGANS RENDER PRESIDENT "SICK" 
 
¶5. (C) The Charge, along with the British and New Zealand 
Ambassadors, had a joint demarche with President Gusmao 
scheduled for Thursday, and subsequently for Friday.  Both days, 
the President canceled and remained in his hillside home 
claiming to be "sick".  The President's Chief of Staff indicated 
to the British and New Zealand Ambassadors that the President 
was distraught about the way the voting rules had been changed 
during the Fretilin Congress and about the recent fractioning of 
the security forces and breakdown in the military command 
structure.  Independence Day celebrations scheduled to take 
place at the Presidential Palace today were also postponed. 
Note: The President's actions mirror previous periods during 
which the President has become recluse and unwilling to act out 
of depression about the current situation. End Note. 
 
EMBASSY CONFIRMS PETITIONERS GATHERING IN GLENO 
 
¶6. (SBU) In a telcon with EmbOff, Major Alfredo Reinado 
confirmed that a large number of the petitioners are currently 
gathered in Gleno.  He was unaware of any actions they may be 
preparing.  During a meeting with senior police officials, the 
Charge was informed that all police officials in the Aileu area, 
where Major Reinado and his fellow AWOL military police officers 
are living, have been informed to cooperate with Reinado and his 
group. 
 
RUMORS DEBUNKED 
 
¶7. (SBU) Rumors of FDTL soldiers, armed and dressed in civilian 
clothes, patrolling in the neighborhoods of senior GOET 
 
DILI 00000243  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
officials appear to be false.  During a meeting with police 
officials, EmbOff was informed that the police guarding the 
homes of these officials have neither observed nor received 
credible reports of any such patrols by civilians. 
 
¶8. (SBU) The rumor of PNTL officers doling out large numbers of 
weapons to civilians is also not credible.  Today, EmbOff 
personally reviewed the stocks of weapons at the PNTL armory and 
confirmed that there are no weapons missing. 
STEIN