SOMET Issues Final Report on Timor-Leste's Parliamentary Election

Aug. 24, 2007 - PRLog -- SOMET Issues Final Report on Timor-Leste's Parliamentary Election

Contacts:
New York:: John M. Miller (ETAN), +1-718-596-7668; +1-917-690-4391

Dili: Santina Soares (Lao Hamutuk), +670-727-9574

August 24 - The Solidarity Observer Mission in East Timor (SOMET) today released its final report on Timor-Leste’s Parliamentary Election of June 30, 2007. SOMET found the election was largely free and fair and that the results represent the will of the people of Timor-Leste. The report is available in Tetum and English.

SOMET observers were present at polling centers in all 13 Districts of the country and monitored the tabulation of the votes at all District Tabulation Centers and nationally. Most polling staff observed performed ably, impartially and conscientiously on election day and during the long process of counting. However, there were some irregularities and problems. In its report, SOMET offers recommendations to improve future elections in Timor-Leste.

SOMET again congratulates the Timorese people for their enthusiastic participation in, and their success in carrying out, this important step in democratization and sovereignty.

Hard copies of the report, in both languages, are available in Dili at NGO Forum (FONGTIL) in Caicoli, +670-727-9574. Copies of the report, along with statements and earlier reports on Timor's elections can be found online here.

SOMET's teams consisted of trained international observers and national observers drawn from seven co-operating groups within Timor-Leste. It was a grassroots project of the U.S.-based East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN), Free East Timor Foundation (VOT ) in the Netherlands, Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) and Asia Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC) in the Philippines and the World Forum for Democratization in Asia (WFDA).

SOMET was formed at the invitation of civil society organizations in Timor-Leste to support a transparent, free and fair election process. SOMET has partnered with nonpartisan East Timorese observers including HAK Association, Timor-Leste NGO Forum, La’o Hamutuk, FOKUPERS, KSI, Bibi Bulak and Concern Worldwide.