Over 90 per cent of East Timorese registered for election: UN mission

Nearly 91 per cent -- more than 738,000 people -- of East Timor's population had been registered for the upcoming elections in the Territory, the United Nations mission in East Timor announced today.

The Civil Registration Unit of the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) had also registered 99 per cent of the estimated population of Dili, UNTAET said, although the figure was likely to include a number of people who came to the capital from surrounding districts. In Dili, a total of 109 prisoners were registered yesterday at the Becora prison, and 260 people at the mosque on 12 June.

Meanwhile, eight of the 15 members of the National Council's Special Committee on the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation have given their support to the draft regulation on establishing such a Commission, UNTAET said.

The Committee, which met on 12 June and chose Father José Antonio da Costa as its new chair, made some minor changes to the draft regulations. The Committee also agreed to hold a separate meeting with the Truth and Reconciliation Steering Committee, which developed the draft regulation. The Special Committee is expected to recommend that the National Council adopt the regulation at its meeting on 18 June.