UN envoy hails Indonesia's help in preparing ballot papers for Timor-Leste poll

The senior United Nations envoy to Timor-Leste, which is gearing up for parliamentary elections at the end of this month, has welcomed Indonesia's role in printing ballot papers for use in the polls.

The materials arrived in Dili on Saturday from a printing location in Surabaya, Indonesia, according to the UN Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT).

“The cooperation between Indonesia and Timor-Leste in the printing of the ballots shows the level of relations between the two countries that has been nurtured over the years by the leaders of each nation,” said Atul Khare, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Timor-Leste.

The small country, which abuts part of the Indonesian archipelago, gained independence after a UN-supported popular consultation in 1999, when the overwhelming majority of people rejected a proposed autonomy and decided to begin a process of transition towards independence. Following the announcement of the result, a campaign of violence, looting and arson was unleashed throughout the entire territory.

In a news release this weekend, the deputy head of UNMIT responsible for electoral assistance, Finn Reske-Nielsen, also welcomed the arrival of the ballots. “The Indonesian authorities facilitated every step of the process and provided the necessary security measures in Surabaya,” he said.

UNMIT and the UN Development Program (UNDP) helped to print the ballot papers following a request from the Government of Timor-Leste, he added.

The specifications for the ballot papers are more complex than those for the ballots used in the presidential elections. In addition to the names and symbols of the parties and coalitions competing in the election, the ballots are each required to have a serial number on a perforated stub in order to allow for carefully monitoring and controls, UNMIT said.