---------------------------------------------------------- FREE for JOIN Indonesia Daily News Online via EMAIL: go to: http://www.indo-news.com/subscribe.html - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ++ Pemilu Online: http://www.indo-news.com/pemilu/ ++ ---------------------------------------------------------- ANTARA, July 4 1999 E. Timor: Horta Willing To Become RI Citizen If Ballot Results Favor Autonomy Jakarta, July 03 (ANTARA)-Self-exiled East Timor anti-integration figure Jose Ramos Horta was quoted here as saying he would become an Indonesian citizen if, in the ballot to be conducted in his homeland later this year, the East Timorese people chose autonomy within the Republic of Indonesia. Horta reportedly expressed this willingness at a meeting with Akbar Tandjung, general chairman of the ruling Golkar Party at the party's headquarters in west Jakarta Saturday. Tandjung told a press conference after the meeting, Horta had given an assurance that he and other East Timor anti-integration figures would respect whatever be as long as it was held in a fair manner and without any pressure. If the ballot results showed the East Timorese people preferred to remain integrated with Indonesia, the anti-integration group would assist effort to develop East Timor and promote the people's advancement, Horta had said according to Tandjung. "He even said he would want to become an Indonesian citizen ... a good one" if the East Timorese people accepted Indonesia's wide ranging autonomy offer, Tandjung said. Horta, who was also present at the press conference, did not deny Tandjung's statement. Horta for his part said at the press conference: "We will respect any result of the direct ballot." On the other hand, Horta said, all parties should equally accept the ballot's results if it turned out the East Timorese people rejected the autonomy offer and preferred independence. According to the May 5 agreement, the ballot was to be conducted on August 8. However, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan announced recently it was to be delayed for two weeks. Through the ballot, the East Timorese people make known whether they accept wide-ranging autonomy status as offered by Jakarta or want to become an independence nation. (T.PTU-03/NN07/INT-AJM-19:43/NN01/20:48/TB03) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 7 Jul 1999 jam 10:42:28 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
