Other East Timorese agree. Outsiders, too, are worried about the East Timorese being left out. If the East Timorese don't participate, then they don't own the future. Still, he admits, it isn't always easy to tie down East Timor's leaders on what they want done. Right now, there are no consequences for failure.
Future budgets are likely to remain conservative.
Only 1,800 Timorese are employed by the UN, including 25 district court judges who recently went on strike over poor wages and even poorer facilities. Despite the disappointments, Gusmao and other East Timorese leaders have been appreciative of much of what the UN has done to get the country back on its feet. East Timor is not Namibia, where the UN found the country totally intact. Just the fact that they had to bring desks and chairs tells you of the magnitude of the task the UN faced. If you take this into account, they have done a wonderful job.