May 26, 2004

JAKARTA (Antara): Presidential election running mates, Wiranto and Solahuddin Wahid, are expected to meet Timor Leste President Xanana Gusmao and leaders of his Milenium Democratico Party in the near future.

"Wiranto plans to meet with Xanana in Bali this week, while Solahuddin Wahid plans to visit Timor Leste at the end of May or early June," party leader Ermenejildo Lopes, told Antara by phone on Wednesday.

Lopes did not reveal the agenda of the meeting between Xanana and Wiranto, but admitted they would probably discuss accusations of human rights violations after a referendum in the former Indonesian province in 1999.

"Honestly, Timor Leste people will not question the background of the person who becomes the new Indonesian president after the July 5 election -- whether they come from a military or civilian background -- but there are some NGOs and political leaders here who would react strongly if Wiranto were to be elected president," he said.

Lopes added that, in principle, an international trial for Wiranto was not so important to the Timorese, but a number of human rights NGOs would use that situation in a political game for their own interests.

The new generation of Timor Leste, he said, had a common vision of the importance of living in harmony with neighboring country, Indonesia.

Lopes said that the Timor Leste people would warmly welcome Solahuddin because his image as a reform figure, together with his elder brother Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, was highly credible in their eyes.

According to Lopes, the Timorese had a high opinion of Gus Dur. When he was the president, Gus Dur had visited Timor Leste to ask for forgiveness for what had happened there.

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