---------------------------------------------------------- Visit Indonesia Daily News Online HomePage: http://www.indo-news.com/ Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- Indonesian FM airs hope for extension of Timor vote registration JAKARTA, July 30 (AFP) - Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas Friday voiced hopes that the registration period for the vote on the future of East Timor would be extended to allow more eligible voters to take part. "Our hope is that if more time is needed, why not be more flexible so that everybody can participate?" Alatas told journalists at the state palace. The voter registration period is scheduled to close on August 4 ahead of the vote due to be held on August 30. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan Tuesday decided to postpone the vote for a second time until the end of August citing security and logistic concerns. It had orginally been set for August 8 but was then initially delayed until August 21 or 22. So far the August 4 deadline for registration has not been changed. The Jakarta-Lisbon agreement, signed in May, provided for the United Nations to hold the vote in East Timor to determine wether the people in the former Portuguese colony annexed by Jakarta in 1976 wanted to remain under Indonesia or become independent. Alatas said he was confident there would be no more delays to the vote. "This is the date that he (Annan) has determined. So I assume that it will be held on Monday, August 30," the minister said. Violence in East Timor has escalated since Jakarta in January said it may free East Timor if it reject its offer of autonomy under Indonesia. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 30 Jul 1999 jam 12:29:23 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
