COMMUNIQUÉ - "One Only Foundation, One Only Vision, One Only Party"

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE
FRETILIN

COMMUNIQUÉ

"One Only Foundation, One Only Vision, One Only Party"

From the 25th to the 28th of October 2007, FRETILIN met in a National Retreat which was in Fahi-Luhan, Suku Holarua, District of Manufahi (Same).

The theme for the retreat was “Past, Present and Future Challenges”, and had the following specific objectives:

1. Undertake an analysis of the Party’s history, the affirmation of the goal of constructing the Rule of Law and the consequences of the coup plan against the FRETILIN government, which commenced on the 4th of December 2002 up to the crisis of 28 April 2006, and FRETILIN’s position regarding the current government.

2. Debate the Party’s perspectives for the consolidation of the Democracy and the Rule of Law, Sovereignty and National Independence and Timor-Leste’s relations with South East Asia, principally Australia and Indonesia, the Pacific, and the rest of the world.

During two days, Party representatives from thirteen districts, together with the Political Leadership debated the above mentioned issues and analyzed the many challenges that the Party confronts today, as well as its future challenges.

The many speeches during the retreat identified the following problems:

§ The need for an immediate readjustment of the Party’s grassroots structure;

§ The need for a review of the methods for implementing decisions taken by the Central Bodies of the Party;

§ Systematic diffusion of information to the public and mainly the members and supporters of the Party at grassroots level;

§ The need to re-establish payments of membership contributions, as already previously decided, in accordance with the Party Statutes, so as to guarantee the financial resources of the Party;

§ Increase the capacity of the organization at grassroots level, where weak;

§ Develop Party activities in accordance with the regulations and statutes of the Party;

§ Define a Plan of Action and Strategy to respond to the current situation and guarantee the defense of the national interest in accordance with the Constitution of the RDTL;

§ Develop an environment of mutual trust inside the Party to eliminate misunderstandings between the leadership and the members;

§ Increase the capacity of the management and membership through political training;

§ Increase the participation of women, Veterans, Former Combatants in the political activities of the Party, at all levels;

§ Within the context of advancing the Second Struggle for National Liberation, increase the patriotic conscience of the Maubere People;

§ Combat regionalist sentiments and develop the sentiment for the Party.

During the two days the Leadership and the Party representatives from thirteen districts, decided:

1. To hold open dialogue meetings in all districts to:

1.1 Consolidate the support base of the Party (Clandestine Organizations, Former Combatants and Veterans);

1.2 Mobilize and organize a National March for Peace, the Defence of Democratic Rights, Justice, Freedom and National Integrity.

2. Recommend to the Party leadership to decide formally on the restructuring/readjustment of the party at middle and grassroots levels.

3. Recommend to the Party Leadership, mainly the FRETILIN Central Committee and the National Political Committee to emit a Declaration that a future FRETILIN government will not recognize and will review on a case by case basis all international undertakings and agreements, such as any eventual debts with the World Bank, the IMF or other countries, which compromise the sovereignty of the nation, for exploration for oil and gas, and any others, which the de facto government led by Jose Alexandre Gusmao may enter into during the term of its unconstitutional governance.

4. Appeals to all Party members and the Maubere People to remain calm desist from any form of violence which can lead to instability in Timor-Leste.

5. Solidify the existing alliances with political forces such as the Democratic Alliance (KOTA and PPT parties), Timor-Leste Democratic Republican Party, Council for Popular Defence – Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, and others.

6. Develop relations with internal and external political forces who hold a common interest.

7. Unconditionally reaffirm and support the appeal by the Party Leadership for National Peace and Stability.

Manufahi, 27 October 2007