FRETILIN launches media team and information centre for 2007 elections

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE
FRETILIN

Media release
21 March 2007

Fretilin, Timor-Leste’s largest political party, yesterday launched its media team and information centre for the 2007 presidential and parliamentary elections. The party also announced the appointment of party spokespersons in Dili to liaise with local and international media.

Speaking at a media conference at the Dili party headquarters, senior Fretilin official Filomeno Aleixo said, “FRETILIN is committed to providing accurate and reliable information in Tetum, Portuguese, English and Bahasa Indonesia, and so is committed to establishing this media team and information centre. Accurate and reliable information is an essential component of building a healthy and sustainable democracy.”

Aleixo announced that Fretilin had appointed four senior party members to be the spokespersons for Dili. The spokespersons were himself, Arsenio Bano, Jose Manuel Fernandes and Cipriana Pereira. Each spokesperson is a member of the central committee and national political commission, and Jose Manuel Fernandes is a deputy secretary general of Fretilin.
Aleixo added that Alex Tilman would continue to be the Fretilin spokesperson in Australia and that Sahe Da Silva in Dili will be liaison officer for English-language media.

The media team comprising full time and part time staff will issue media releases in Tetum, Portuguese, English and Bahasa Indonesia. Rui Castro would be responsible for the day to day operations of the media team and information centre.

A complete list of email and telephone contacts for the media team is attached to this media release.

The information centre has been set up at the party headquarters in Comoro and will provide information about election campaign, such as pamphlets and campaign schedules. The information centre would also sell the Fretilin campaign documentary “Maubere Oan Sira Hamrik Ba” and provide English and Portuguese transcripts of the documentary. The price of the documentary is USD $5.

The information centre will also serve as the media conference room during the presidential and parliamentary election campaigns. Fretilin will hold two media conferences per week on Tuesday and Friday (at a time to be advised) with additional media conferences if required.

The next press conference on Friday 23 March 2007 will be for the Dili campaign launch of party president Francisco “Lu’Olo” Guterres’, who has nominated to become President of the Republic. Aleixo said that Lu’Olo would officially launch his campaign in Ossu on 23 March 2007, but that a press conference would be held in Dili (at a time to be advised) to provide information about the launch in Ossu.

Aleixo said that after Ossu, Lu’Olo’s presidential campaign would then travel to Manatuto and other districts in Timor-Leste before finishing up on 4 April 2007 in Dili. Fretilin election campaign workers will work non-stop around the country to promote Lu’Olo in all districts for the entire period of the presidential campaign.

For more information please contact:
Filomeno Aleixo: (+670) 723 0089 (Dili)

Arsenio Bano: (+670) 723 0023 (Dili)

Jose Manuel Fernandes: (+670) 723 0049 (Dili)

Alex Tilman: (+61) 419 281 175 (Melbourne, Australia)

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE
FRETILIN


FRETILIN Media Centre
Address: FRETILIN Headquarters, Avenido Martires de Pátria, Comoro
Email address: fretilin.media@gmail.com
Office telephone: To be advised (in the process of being connected)
Fax: To be advised (in the process of being connected)

Spokespersons for Dili

Filomeno Aleixo: (+670) 723 0089
Member of Central Committee and National Political Commission
Speaks English, Portuguese, Tetum and Bahasa Indonesia

Arsenio Bano: (+670) 723 0023
Member of Central Committee and National Political Commission
Speaks English, Portuguese, Tetum and Bahasa Indonesia

Jose Manuel Fernandes: (+670) 723 0049
Deputy Secretary General, Member of Central Committee and Member of National Political Commission
Speaks English, Portuguese, Tetum and Bahasa Indonesia

Cipriana Pereira: (+670) 724 2114
Member of Central Committee and National Political Commission
Speaks Portuguese, Tetum and Bahasa

Spokesperson for Australia: Alex Tilman: 0419 281 175 (Melbourne)

English media liaison officer based in Dili: Sahe Da Silva: (+670) 729 1297

FRETILIN Media Centre staff mobile numbers
Naldo Rei (+670) 729 5656
Rui Castro (+670) 723 6630
Antonio (+670) 734 1400

All press releases and news will be loaded on to the following websites:
www.luolobapresidente.blogspot.com (for information in Tetum, Portuguese, English and Bahasa Indonesia)

www.luolo.blogspot.com (for information in Tetum, Portuguese, English and Bahasa Indonesia)

www.timortruth.com (for English media releases and news only)

Up to date as at 21 March 2007