Portugal and decolonisation

While Fretilin has had a somewhat cold attitude to the military regime in Lisbon and the local representatives of the Portuguese government (many of whom are unchanged from the old regime) UDT has been remarkably warm to the Portuguese representatives in East Timor. As a result of these differing stands UDT was able to gain support among local Portuguese administrators for its coup which went off with little bother at the start of August.

Also important to note when analysing the two parties are their changing attitudes towards decolonisation. Fretilin originally demanded independence Now' while UDT was arguing for continued union with Portugal. By the beginning of this year UDT and Fretilin were both arguing for a continued union for at least 3 - 5 years leading to independence.

What had happened was that by the start of this year Fretilin's leadership had recognised that for East Timor to be viable as an independent state it needed a reasonably long period of decolonisation during which the infrastructure of a self-reliant economy could be laid. Also preying on the minds of the Fretilin leaders was the threat of Indonesia. A weak state formed too early would be no more than an invitation to an Indonesian intervention. UDT by this time also had second thoughts when they realised that the overwhelming majority of East Timorese wanted true independence.

On the basis of their agreement on the question of decolonisation the two parties formed an alliance in January for the purpose of negotiation with the Portuguese. They claimed the sole right to speak for East Timor.