To assist voters, the ballots will have symbols: an Indonesian flag representing acceptance and the flag of the pro-independence National Council for Timorese Resistance representing rejection.

Portugal is to ask the United Nations to remove East Timor from the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. The United Nations is to remain in East Timor to ensure the autonomy package is implemented.

If the autonomy package is rejected, Jakarta has agreed to make constitutional changes to rescind legislation that annexed East Timor in 1976, allowing it to revert to its previous status. Indonesia is to withdraw from East Timor and hand over power to the United Nations, which will form a transitional authority until power is handed over to the East Timorese.

There is no fixed timetable, but the MPR is expected to vote on East Timor's status around mid-October. If the vote is for independence, most observers expect the United Nations to remain for up to five years as the transitional authority.

Reuters contributed to this report.