Blame placed on failure of leadership

Dissenting factions in East Timor may not agree about much but one thing unites them and the international community - a belief the country has been badly governed.

Since the emotional and historic high of becoming the world's newest independent state in 2002, the high hopes for East Timor have evaporated as the fires of ethnic tension and political rivalry rage out of control.

While the catalyst for the chaos that has beset East Timor in recent days was Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri's March decision to fire 600 striking soldiers, East Timorese and foreign leaders have pointed at deeper-seated problems.

"They have to discharge ... the responsibilities of independence more effectively than has been the case over the last few years," Australian Prime Minister John Howard said at the weekend.

His comments were echoed by New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, who said it was tempting to say East Timor was back to square one after considerable international efforts to ease the country into existence.

"I think at its root this is a political and leadership failure of considerable dimensions," Helen Clark said.

Mr Alkatiri has said East Timor's problems are the fault of the entire state, while Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta yesterday said the Government had "failed miserably" in addressing tensions.

When Indonesia ceased its occupation of East Timor it destroyed most of the infrastructure. Even with considerable international aid, replacing facilities and governmental structures has been challenging.

The difficulties in setting up a country from scratch - and a poverty-stricken country at that - have seen allegations of real or perceived favouritism on political and regional lines.

Discontent last week exploded into rioting and killing which has unified East Timor's leaders in calling for calm and national unity.

However, the politicians are also looking further ahead - to next year's elections - and much of the country's recent political strife has been attributed to pre-campaign positioning.

How free and fair those elections will be has already been questioned.

KEY FIGURES

* Mari Alkatiri

Former chartered surveyor, exiled in Mozambique during Indonesian occupation of East Timor. A founder member of the Fretilin party. A Muslim, a rarity in an overwhelmingly Catholic country. Economics minister in interim government, before becoming first Prime Minister.

* Xanana Gusmao

Former public servant, joined Fretilin, becoming their press secretary in 1975. Became cause celebre of independence struggle after arrest by Indonesia in 1992. Freed in 1999 and took a senior role in UN Timorese administration, before being elected President in 2002.

* Jose Ramos Horta

Face of Timorese independence struggle. In 1996 jointly awarded Nobel Peace Prize alongside Bishop Carlos Belo. Became Foreign Minister in 2002. Has attempted to broker a settlement between rival factions in the current conflict.