51.   The president, whom China regards as a covert independence supporter, is heavily favoured to win the election, which observers expect to be free and fair.

52.   The vote was preceded and followed by widespread brutality against independence supporters from pro-Jakarta militias supported by the Indonesian army.

53.   There are also allegations, strongly denied by Howard, that Australia backs independence supporters in Papua province.

54.   They included trade union officials protesting over the jailing of independent Indonesian union leader Muchtar Pakpahan and a group of East Timor independence supporters.

55.   UNTAET said Guterres, at a rally attended by pro-Jakarta militias and Indonesian police and troops, declared independence supporters to be his enemies.

56.   Two lines of heavily armed OMON special forces police were seen encircling the square where the independence supporters had been camped out since Sunday.

57.   Last fall independence supporters lost a referendum on leaving Canada by a razor-thin margin.

58.   Premier Sir John Swan, a staunch independence supporter and architect of the referendum, has said he would resign if Bermudians vote no.

59.   Rais also objects to its supposed backing for independence supporters in Papua province.

60.   Shen refused to comment specifically on the re-election of the president, whom Beijing lambasted in an intensive pre-poll media campaign as a covert independence supporter.