The Australia Timor-Leste Friendship Network Facilitators (AusTimorFN) will register with the Timor-Leste Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration (STAE) to coordinate volunteer observers to the 2012 Timor-Leste Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
‘AusTimorFN’ Facilitators Convenor Mrs Rae Kingsbury said that the Facilitators were now calling for expressions of interest in being registered as Voluntary Observers for the 2012 elections. ‘AusTimorFN’ has announced its intention to coordinate observers well ahead of the scheduled elections so interested people will have plenty of opportunity to plan their participation well in advance,’ Mrs Kingsbury said.
The two rounds of the Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in May 2012, with the date for the Parliamentary elections not yet announced but expected to be in late June 2012.
‘It is vitally important for the consolidation of Timor-Leste’s democratic processes for its elections to be affirmed by non-partisan observers,’ Mrs Kingsbury said. ‘Australian Friends can make their single biggest contribution to their partner communities by helping guarantee their voice is heard in choosing their political representatives.’
Mrs Kingsbury previously coordinated the largest observer group to Timor-Leste’s 2007 elections as then CEO of the Victorian Local Governance Association, as well as coordinating more than 40 observers to the 1999 ballot on self-determination.
AusTimorFN Facilitators is the support, advocacy and facilitating body for Australia’s network of Friendship groups.
Rae M Kingsbury (nee Perry)
Convenor: Australia Timor-Leste Friendship Network and Facilitators
raemerlynperry@gmail.com
www.austimorfn.com
(+61) 0448 946 483