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RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI 2039

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 DILI 000322 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  6/21/2016 
TAGS: PGOV MOPS ASEC PHUM KPKO CASC PREF EAID AS TT
SUBJECT: EAST TIMOR SITREP: PRIME MINISTER PERSUADES PRESIDENT TO 
DELAY DISMISSAL 
 
REF: A) DILI 316; B) DILI 320 
 
DILI 00000322  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Grover Joseph Rees, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy 
Dili, Department of State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: 
--- Prime Minister persuades President to delay dismissal 
--- Anti-Alkatiri demonstration continued; 
--- Lobato's house surrounded; 
--- Security environment in Dili. 
End Summary. 
 
Prime Minister persuades President to delay dismissal 
----------------------------------- 
 
(S) According to a preliminary report from the just-concluded 
Council of State meeting, Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri asked for 
"a day or two" to consult with members of the Fretilin Party 
about whether he should comply with the President's demand that 
he resign as Prime Minister, and the President agreed. 
 
(SBU) The Council of State meeting began at 10 a.m. this 
morning.  President Xanana Gusmao is constitutionally required 
to consult the Council before dismissing Prime Minister Mari 
Alkatiri. See Reftels. The Council members heard from Vicente 
Rai Los, the ruling party (Fretilin) loyalist who said his group 
was armed by Alkatiri and ex-Interior Minister Rogerio Lobato to 
act against Fretilin opponents, to help bolster the President's 
case that credible evidence serious criminal conduct makes it 
inappropriate for Alkatiri to continue in office. President 
Gusmao also reportedly presented videotaped evidence.  The 
meeting ended at about 5 p.m. 
 
(S) According to two sources who were present at the meeting, 
the discussion consisted primarily of President Gusmao and 
several Council members urging the Prime Minister to resign, 
with the Prime Minister repeatedly responding that he would not 
resign.  The Council discussion apparently broke down along 
party lines, with five or six members (including the Prime 
Minister himself) saying the Prime Minister should remain in 
office while four or five members (in addition to the President, 
who presides at the Council meetings but is not a member) saying 
the Prime Minister should resign.  (Two Council members who are 
believed to be anti-Alkatiri were absent from the meeting.) 
Finally the President stood up and said, "This has been going on 
for three months. I can no longer face the people if we cannot 
solve the problem.  So if you won't resign, then I will." 
Alkatiri reportedly responded, "Maybe the country needs you 
[President Gusmao] more than it means me.  Give me a day or so 
to talk to my party."  The President agreed.  The meeting then 
ended. 
 
(S) Comment:   The two sources who were at the meeting, who are 
not pro-Alkatiri, believe that the President has succeeded in 
making Alkatiri think seriously about resigning, and that this 
will be the likely outcome of his talks with Fretilin leaders. 
It is possible that Alkatiri will come back to the President 
with some sort of compromise, such as that he would resign only 
if the President agreed to appoint an Alkatiri loyalist as the 
successor Prime Minister.  On the other hand, this could simply 
be a successful attempt by the Prime Minister to secure a delay 
in order to strengthen his position.  "A day or so" could easily 
stretch out into several days. 
 
(S) Comment continued:   Embassy has not yet learned why the 
discussion was apparently limited to whether the Prime Minister 
should resign, rather than whether the President should dismiss 
him.  The President stated quite clearly 24 hours ago that he 
would dismiss the Prime Minister at the conclusion of the 
Council meeting. See Ref B. Although it appears that a narrow 
plurality within the Council of State may have supported the 
Prime Minister's position, the President pointed out last night 
that the Council is a purely consultative body:  he is not 
constitutionally obliged to abide by the majority decision of 
Council members, or even to take a vote, only to hear the views 
 
DILI 00000322  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
of Council members before taking action.  See Reftels. It is 
also unclear whether the President would actually have resigned 
if the Prime Minister had not responded as he did.  Perhaps the 
President's surprise announcement was a ploy calculated to get 
Alkatiri to change his mind, or perhaps it was a sincere 
manifestation of despair.  Embassy will report further on these 
questions, as well as on the progress of the Prime Minister's 
discussions with Fretilin leaders. 
 
Anti-Alkatiri demonstration continued 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
(U) The peaceful anti-Alkatiri demonstration that began 
yesterday continued today.  The demonstrators numbered in the 
hundreds, and opposition leaders told Emboffs that many more 
would arrive tomorrow, from the western districts and possibly 
also from the eastern districts.  The international Joint Task 
Force (JTF) continued to provide security in the vicinity. 
 
Lobato's house surrounded 
--------------------------------------- 
 
(S/NF) Several Joint Task Force (JTF) personnel have taken up 
positions surrounding the neighborhood of Prime Minister Mari 
Alkatiri and ex-Interior Minister Rogerio Lobato, reportedly to 
enforce the arrest warrant issued yesterday by the Prosecutor 
General based on charges Lobato had distributed arms to ruling 
party (Fretilin) loyalists.  Embassy was informed earlier today 
that the international forces are uncertain whether to detain 
Lobato in a jail cell or to keep him under house arrest. A later 
report suggests that the Government of Australia may have taken 
a decision not to execute the Lobato arrest warrant on the 
ground that it would appear to put Australia on one side of a 
political dispute. (Incidentally, it appears that Lobato is now 
residing in the Government-owned residence he occupied as 
Minister of the Interior, notwithstanding his dismissal almost 
three weeks ago.) 
 
Security environment 
--------------------- 
 
(U) The Australian Federal Police (AFP) reported two arrests 
last night, one for possession of a handgun and one for criminal 
mischief.  AFP also reported two arsons.  A group of armed men 
fired shots into the air near the city water tower.  The group 
had dispersed by the time AFP arrived on the scene.  In the past 
24 hours AFP has confiscated two machetes, three long knives, 17 
darts, and one baton. 
 
(SBU) The Mobile Security Detachment (MSD) team departed today. 
Embassy Dili has eight American staff plus the Regional Security 
Officer.  There are approximately 55 private American citizens 
in East Timor.  The Embassy continues to advise Americans about 
the security situation and there is no indication that Americans 
have been targeted or threatened.  Areas frequented by Americans 
continue to be controlled by JTF and Portuguese special police 
(GNR) personnel. 
REES