President's quit vow ver call to sack prime minister
East Timor’s president said he would decide whether to resign later today after hearing whether the country’s ruling party had agreed to sack the prime minister.
President Xanana Gusmao blames Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri for weeks of violence and political chaos in the small Asian nation.
Former guerrilla leader President Gusmao, revered for helping East Timor win independence from Indonesia, said he no longer trusts Mr Alkatiri, who faces accusations of arming a hit squad to terrorise opponents.
The choice of losing either the president or the beleaguered prime minister prompted thousands to take to the streets of the capital, chanting “Alkatiri step down!”
Many East Timorese say Mr Alkatiri’s decision to fire 600 disgruntled soldiers in March was to blame for street battles and gang warfare that left at least 30 people dead and sent nearly 150,000 people fleeing from their homes.
The violence was the worst to hit the country since it voted for independence seven years ago, but ebbed with the arrival of a 2,700-member Australian-led peacekeeping force several weeks ago.
The arrest of former Interior Minister Rogerio Lobato on charges of providing weapons to the self-proclaimed leader of a hit squad, allegedly commissioned by Mr Alkatiri, has intensified accusations against the prime minister.
Alkatiri has denied any knowledge of the hit squad.
But the country’s top prosecutor said today that Lobato – charged with attempted revolution, conspiracy and providing state weapons to civilians - claimed in a closed court hearing that Mr Alkatiri knew civilian militias were being armed.
President Gusmao, increasingly frustrated by the ruling Fretilin party – which has thrown its support behind Alkatiri – said he was asked by the party to wait to hand in his resignation until after they held talks today to discuss the crisis.
It was not immediately clear if the meeting would go ahead, however, with party members failing to gather hours after its planned start.
President Gusmao enjoys widespread international support, including that of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
