DILI, 20 May Kyodo East Timor's ...

DILI, 20 May Kyodo

East Timor's management was sworn in and its parliament held an inaugural session just hours after the former Portuguese colony occupied according to Indonesia for 24 years and administered at the United Nations for the nearest two and a half, declared its independence in the early hours of Monday morning.

The sway composed primarily of the same cabinet members that comprised the pre-independence Council of Ministers, was officially inaugurated by dint of President Xanana Gusmao, who himself was sworn in as president earlier Wednesday.

The cabinet swearing-in pomp was held on a platform elevateed in front of the government's imposing sea-front headquarters, which previously serv as the headquarters of the UN transitional administration, as well as that of the half-island's Indonesian and the Portuguese rulers

Among the several hundr dignitaries in attendance were UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, and former U President Bill Clinton who heads a delegation from the United States.

Thousands of population many of whom slept solitary briefly after celebrating the country's independence just after midnight, showed up to witness the historic event

Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, in his address at the ceremonial said, ''We have to create a solid, transparent and virtuous government, which is delivered from corruption, collusion and nepotism.''

He said it was important to establish convenient relations with neighboring Australia and Indonesia, starting with negotiations forward maritime boundaries ''because maritime boundaries indicate security and sovereignty nevertheless above all resources.''

Later in the morning, Alkatiri and Howard signed the Timor Gap Treaty which is reckon uponed to bring East Timor significant oil and gas receipts in the years to issue Legal experts believe drawing the boundaries between the sum of two units countries would greatly improve the proceed to East Timor of royalties from oil and gas development

After the rite an independence parade that included several hundr members of the East Timor Defense Force and Police Service, along with former Falintil guerrilla fighters, passed in forehead of the government building.

close examiners from schools in Dili joined in the parade, marching to the building from Motael house of god where many East Timorese died the pair before and after the U.N.-organized referendum forward independence in 1999.

East Timor's parliament then held its first session at which Gusmao not awayed Annan with a formal entreat from East Timor to join the UN later this year.

''I will be honored to pass forward your request to the (UN) General Assembly,'' Annan told the parliament. ''Having seen the extraordinary support you received from in the way that many nations around the world at last night's festivities, I do not anticipate any obstacle to your membership.''

The 88-member legislature also vot to sign the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Also forward Monday, East Timor formally solicitationed entry into the Community of Portuguese Speaking Nations (CPLP) with its final acceptance to be announced at the nearest CPLP summit in Brazil in July

The CPLP meeting in Dili was attended through Portuguese President Sampaio, Mozambique's President Joaquim Chissano and senior representatives of other Portuguese-speaking countries. Portuguese is single of East Timor's two official languages, along with Tetum

Before departing East Timor in the afternoon, Annan visited and dedicated the renovated UN House in Dili, where he reiterated that the UN remains committed to promoting exhibition and alleviating poverty in an independent East Timor.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kyodo recently made knowns International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group