There have been changes of government in Australia and East Timor in recent months. These changes present fresh challenges and new possibilities in the relationship across the Timor trough.
East Timor has had a dreadful couple of years with civil unrest, an emergency resulting in tens of thousands of internally displaced citizens, and an election which did not result in a smooth transfer of legitimate political power. The new Australian government would do well to ensure that appropriate processes are followed in providing ongoing assistance to the new Timorese government and Timorese society.
Australian and New Zealand troops are still patrolling the streets of Dili. They are known as the ISF — the international security force. They are on the streets under the terms of a bilateral agreement signed by Mr Ramos Horta for the government of East Timor, following an invitation extended in May 2006 by the now dismissed Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri, and President Gusmao who joined the President of the National Parliament with a signed request for assistance.
Eighteen months on, there has been no imperative for Australian forces to exchange berets and operate under UN auspices as occurred with the original INTERFET engagement after the 1999 popular consultation leading to independence. Post Iraq, John Howard and Alexander Downer were happy to proceed in a more unilateral fashion, responding to requests from their friends in Dili. Maintenance of this status quo is risky.
The FRETILIN party and many of its supporters still feel cheated by President Horta's decision to invite Gusmao to form a government, even though FRETILIN outpolled Gusmao's party.
Most Australians argue that Gusmao was entitled to form government because he was able to marshal a coalition of parties with a majority of votes in the parliament. But Mari Alkatiri, the head of FRETILIN, which got the most votes of any party, remains adamant that under the Timorese constitution he should have been given the first option to form a government. He thinks he would have been ultimately able to form a coalition.
Having missed out, he and his supporters continue to question the legitimacy of the Gusmao government. They also question the legitimacy of Horta and Gusmao's request to have Australian troops continuing to patrol Dili. In July Horta asked the Howard Government to allow Australian troops to remain at least until the end of 2008.
Surprisingly, the original agreement relating to the Australian troop presence