East Timor PM fails to appear for court hearing

EAST TIMOR’S ousted prime minister failed to appear yesterday for questioning over gunrunning charges that contributed to his downfall, saying he was immune from prosecution.

Former leader Mari Alkatiri instead chose to address 1,000 cheering supporters, who camped out in the grounds of Dili’s university after marching through the city, amid a massive security clampdown by international peacekeepers.

“We are all brothers,” he said, urging the crowd not to take part in violence.

He also said there was no need to dissolve parliament and hold early elections, something President Xanana Gusmao says is essential to free the country from two months of political deadlock and unrest.

Mr Alkatiri stepped down on Monday amid allegations that he knew that weapons were being distributed to civilian militias who were hunting down his political opponents.

The weapons charges gained credibility last week when former Interior Minister Rogerio Lobato, deputy leader in Mr Alkatiri’s ruling Fretilin party and a key political ally, was indicted in the case.

Mr Alkatiri had been summoned to appear for questioning, but Prosecutor General Longuinhos Monteiro said he had received a letter from him requesting a postponement because his lawyers had yet to arrive from abroad.

The letter also said that Mr Alkatiri had immunity from prosecution because he remains a member of parliament.

Mr Alkatiri denies the allegations and says his opponents were to blame for the unrest, that at its height saw rival sections of the security forces fighting each other. At least 30 people died and nearly 150,000 fled their homes.

The violence was the worst to hit the country since it voted for independence from Indonesia in 1999, in a UN-sponsored referendum. The country was administered by the United Nations and until the crisis had been praised as good example of nation building.

Meanwhile, the country’s foreign minister Jose Ramos Horta said a transitional government will be in place within days. He said that until new leaders were installed, he had assumed day-to-day management of the government.

“In the next few days, we should have a new government in place with the support of the ruling party and all the other parties,” Mr Ramos Horta said.