When power is everything

Appeal to reason … President Xanana Gusmao addresses supporters of the newly resigned Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri in Dili yesterday. Photo: AP

EAST TIMOR'S ruling Fretilin party has called a halt to a bitter feud with the country's President, Xanana Gusmao, who declared he was willing to negotiate a settlement with ministers in the government of the former Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri.

In the most hopeful sign yet that Dili's political elite can end weeks of deadlock, Fretilin's president, Francisco Guterres, issued a statement yesterday saying "we do not want and we cannot continue, to wound one another".

"We all have too many wounds already," he said.

Mr Gusmao, the hero of East Timor's independence struggle, signalled he was willing to deal with Fretilin, the majority party which claims the right to name the next prime minister.

The real problem now appears to be, how to defuse the recently resigned Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri.

Alkatiri has major problems on his hands, since his former minister was arrested for supplying arms to a private militia whose role was allegedly to eliminate political rivals.

The now former Prime Minister has been heavily implicated in the establishment of death squads. He has ignored calls by the country’s chief prosecutor to be questioned on the issue.

However Alkatiri’s stated reasons are conflicting. On the one hand he claims that his Macau Lawyer has not yet arrived in the country, then goes on to claim that as a sitting member of parliament, he cannot be prosecuted.

Following his resignation Alkatiri has been stirring up supporters with thinly veiled encouragement to violence. He is obviously fighting for more than just political survival.

Alkatiri denies any involvement in organizing death squads. Apart from testimony from some of the key figures, apparently intended to lead these squads, there has been no real evidence.

Even that evidence seems only to suggest that Alkatiri was in the picture, that the orders came down from him.

With the country in total turmoil, and government paralysed, Alkatiri is hard put to claim his resistance is an effort to retain stability. Things have gone too far for that now.

With the country split on east/west lines leaders and international peace makers are in a very real bind.

Pushing to prosecute Alkatiri and his group will erupt in violence driven by the former PM’s western group. Failing to do so will see more violence from the eastern supporters of Gusmao.

As I have said before. This crisis is really a microcosm of most international crisis at the moment. If this one can be solved with minimal fallout it might well give lead to handling some of the larger conflicts out there. But don’t hold your breath waiting.