`A smooth and representative election process'.

• Position: Independence of East Timor

East Timor's peaceful transition towards independence has been an impressive success story for the United Nations. On 30 August 2001, exactly two years after it had voted for independence in a UN-sponsored popular referendum, East Timor held its first-ever democratic elections. An estimated 91 per cent of the 425,000 registered voters elected a Constituent Assembly, which was given 90 days to draft and adopt a Constitution for East Timor. The UN Chronicle features a story by Brennon Jones on the elections (see opposite page). Following are some of the more recent events since then.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan called the historic elections "a glowing example to the world community". Following the certification of the results on 10 September, the Security Council hailed the orderly and peaceful conduct of the elections and the very high voter turnout. The Council urged all parties to work together to draft a Constitution that reflected the will of the East Timorese people. It recognized the important role of the East Timorese leadership, the cooperation extended by the Government of Indonesia during the election period, and the work of the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) in facilitating "a smooth and representative election process". UNTAET Chief Sergio Vieira de Mello said the final results were "a clear indication of the aspirations of the Timorese people" who had "proven the sceptics wrong" and shown that their country's democracy had "indeed taken root".

On 12 September, East Timorese leaders met in Jakarta with Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri for the first time since she took office. At the encounter, described as "extremely cordial", the parties discussed cooperation and friendship between East Timor and Indonesia, the need to rapidly resolve the question of refugees, and the possible creation of a free trade zone between East and West Timor.

In its first formal session on 17 September, East Timor's Constituent Assembly elected FRETILIN President Franscico Guterres as its Speaker. On 18 September, Mr. Vieira de Mello handed over the Constitutional Commission reports to the Assembly. The reports from each of the territory's districts contained the suggestions from some 38,000 East Timorese on what they would like to be considered by the Constituent Assembly when drafting the Constitution. And on 20 September, Mr. Vieira de Mello swore in the 24 members of the all-Timorese Council of Ministers of the...