East Timor president stresses need to look ahead

DILI - East Timor President Xanana Gusmao told parliament on Wednesday the nation must get back to normal after the recent chaos, but made no mention of calls for the prime minister, whose policies sparked violence, to step down.

Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri's policies are widely blamed for the factional and gang violence which led to the deaths of at least 20 people in recent weeks.

East Timor suffered a "lack of political capacity to solve the problems that fell upon our hands", Gusmao said, adding "I am not accusing anybody."

The president, who commands widespread support, said that while investigations into the violence were under way, the top state councils had decided to give immediate priority to ending the violence and destruction of goods and property while avoiding any figure-pointing.

East Timorese voted overwhelmingly in 1999 to break with Indonesia, and became independent in 2002 after being run by the United Nations for two-and-a-half years.

The world's youngest nation was plunged into violence in May after Alkatiri sacked 600 of the 1400-strong army for mutiny when they protested about alleged discrimination against soldiers from the west of the country.

Troops clashed with police, but more recent violence has been gang-related.

An estimated 100,000 people were displaced because of the violence, prompting some of East Timor's neighbours to intervene.

Gusmao thanked Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Portugal for sending a 2500-strong peacekeeping force to Dili and told parliament the intervention would probably last longer than expected for several reasons, including the fact civilians have now got hold of weapons.

Shots had been heard almost everywhere in East Timor, and the international forces will have to extend their reach beyond Dili, the president said.

Prime Minister Alkatiri has refused to step down despite calls for his resignation by rebel troops and thousands of protesters. He has denied responsibility for the violence.

Australian media have reported that a secret hit squad was ordered to intimidate and eliminate Alkatiri's opponents.

Gusmao's only specific reference to the prime minister in his speech was to say that he and Alkatiri had reached a compromise in a dispute over the penal code. The two men left parliament together after the speech.

A former Portuguese colony, East Timor, some 2100km east of Jakarta, was invaded by Indonesia in 1975 and annexed the following year.

Despite their rocky history, East Timor and Indonesia have had relatively good relations since the former's independence. Leaders on both sides have generally tried to downplay charges of massive human rights violations by Indonesia during its occupation and at the time of the referendum.

Gusmao praised Jakarta for offering to help East Timor even as Indonesia was coping with the aftermath of last month's deadly earthquake on the island of Java that killed nearly 6000 people.

- REUTERS