SECURITY COUNCIL PRESS STATEMENT ON TIMOR-LESTE

The following statement to the press was delivered today by the President of the Security Council, Emyr Jones Parry ( United Kingdom):

The members of the Security Council expressed their full support for the holding of the presidential elections in Timor-Leste on 9 April.  They stressed the importance of these elections as a significant milestone in the democratic process in the country.

The members of the Security Council called upon all parties in Timor-Leste to adhere to the principles of non-violence and to democratic and legal processes to ensure that the upcoming presidential elections have a unifying impact and contribute to bringing the people of Timor-Leste together.  They appealed to all Timorese parties to ensure that free, fair and peaceful elections take place and that the electoral Code of Conduct developed by the National Commission on Elections is respected.

The members of the Security Council expressed sincere appreciation for the continuing central role played by the National Commission on Elections, the Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration and the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) in preparations for the upcoming presidential elections.  They expressed continued support for the work of UNMIT under the leadership of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General.

The members of the Security Council underlined the need for the international community to continue to provide support to Timor-Leste and welcomed the presence of domestic as well as international electoral observers in Timor-Leste for these elections.

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