DEKLARASAUN POLITIKA HUSI BANCADA FRETILIN

DEKLARASAUN POLITIKA HUSI BANCADA FRETILIN

ASSUNTO: KONVITE HUSI GOVERNU DE FACTU RDTL BA EXPRESSAUN DE INTERESSE ATU HARII SENTRAL ELETRIKA FOIR RUA NO REDE LINHA ELETRIKA NASIONAL

Parlamentu Nasional RDTL
29 Juñu 2008

Iha loron 17 Junhu 2008, ministerio finansas lansa "Konvite ba Hatama Espresaun Interesse no

Proposta" iha sira nina website atu buka kompania neebe hakarak "harii rede energia nasional no sentral eletrika rua ho kapasidade produz 150 too 200 MWs".

Ida nee halo em vez de halo Tender hanesa ita hotu kompreende. Laos tender.

Iha konvite nee dehan katak proposta hotu hotu tenki simu molok ka iha loron 4 Julhu 2008. Ida nee fob a potensial investidores semana rua no loron tolu deit atu hatama proposta ida neebe representa investimentu publiku bot liu iha Timor-Leste nia historia. Tamba sa mak semana rua deit?

Ami sei esplika ami nia suspeita tamba sa mak semana rua deit tuir mai.

Konvite nee husi governu de facto RDTL nian, husi ministeriu finansas no infraestruturas, tatoli mos katak sentral rua neebe atu harii tenki hodi kombustivel "heavy oil", ka iha tetum dehan "mina todan' ka iha portugues "oleo pezado".

Iha Ingles mos iha naran seluk hanesa "residue oil" (mina restu) ka "numeru 6". Naran hirak nee tamba mina nee, mina neebe mosu depois de porsessu refinasaun neebe hasai te ona bensin, mina rai, solar, no seluk, no hela deit oleo ida neebe foir no todan liu. Tamba nee mak hanaran "mina todan".

Folin tomak ba harii sentral rua nee ita seidauk hatene, maibe ita hatene katak governu de facktu orsamenta iha orsamentu rektifikativu osan dolar US$10 MILHOES.

Rede transmissaun no distribuisaun nasional ami hatene ona tamba governu uluk prepara ona programa investimentu eletrifikasaun nasional.

Mina todan nee ita hatene ona katak mina ida neebe foir liu, no nia teknologia atu produz energia nee ida neebe tuan liu. Iha mundu tomak ohin loron rai itoan deit mak sei halau pordisaun energia husi mina todan. Rai neebe sei halau hela sentral hirak nee barak mak buka dadaun atu taka lalais tamba metodo produsaun nee produz poluisaun makas liu neebe estraga ambiente.
Parlamentu nee mos foin ratifika tratadu Kyoto neebe buka hamenus metodo produsaun energia neebe foir hanesan husi mina todan.

Ita bele dehan deit katak mina todan nee aat liu batuk bara. Uluk dehan iha fatin nee katak batuk bara mak atu uza. Diak liu buka opsaun ida neebe diak liu buat rua nee hotu.

Hau hakarak fo ezemplu ida: iha tinan 1973, 16.65% Estadus Unidus Amerika ninia energia produz husi mina todan, maibe ohin loron 0%. Sira taka tamba sentral hirak nee produz polusaun makas. Laos deit sira, iha rai barabarak iha mundu, no mos iha rai besik ita hanesa Indonesia, Australia, Tailandia, Korea no China, ohin loron hotu buka taka sira nia sentral mina todan.

Maibe Timor-Leste buka loke fali.

Ita hotu kompreendi katak Timor-Leste presiza investimentu makas iha sector eletrisidade.

Governu FRETILIn uluk buka dalan ba ida nee no prepara investimentu iha sector ida nee. Ita hotu hatene kona ba hidro eletriku iha Ira lalara no fatin seluk iha Timor tomak neebe bele harii sentral hidro eletriku, estudu hirak neebe klean los no tomak, no mos kona ba gas natural no solar no buat seluk. Governu uluk la halai deit ba buat neebe fasil maibe foir no nakunu ho problemas.

Ami buka solusaun sustentavel no neebe fo vantage ba Povo no ambiente.

Konvite neebe publika husi governu de facto buka sentral rua ho kapasidade 150-200 MWs, no tuir 3.5 apendix ba dokumentu konvite, "projetu tomak, hodi desenhu to hahu halau, sentral no linha transmisaun tenki remata iha tinan ida nia laran hodi assina kontratu". Nee hodi ita kestiona tan buat barak.

Tuir estudu ADB nian iha tinan 2004, iha tinan 2025 Timor-Leste sei presize 109 MWs deit. Ida nee toma konta ona nesedidade kona ba kresimentu ekonomiku, fabrikas neebe atu harii no turismu etc. Tansa mak harii fali sentral 200 MWs iha tempu badak hanesa tinan ida?

Maski it abele harii sentral hirak nee Povo no industria nia kapasidade sei la too iha neeba too tinan sanulu karik. Povo maubere la iha geleira ka AC ka buat seluk neebe uza energia makas hanesa nee. Entaun it abele dehan governu propoen uza sira nia osan ba se nia benefisiu deit? Laos ba sira entaun ba se?

Tamba iha kolega ruma neebe budu hela ka hein hela ho sentral tuan ida iha rai ruma neebe tenki taka no hakarak mai soi iha Timor-Leste? Atu lori mai ita nia rai dobin, nudar rai ida neebe bele soi besi tuan ka?

Timor-Leste sei la presiza 150-200 MWs iha tinan sanulu nia laran. Loke matan ba realidade ida nee Povo Timor-Leste! Governu de faktu nee hakarak foti imi nia osan atu fo kontratu ba sira nia amigus karik? Kontratu ida neebe sei lakon imi nia osan.

Dokumentu konvite la hatete katak sentral neebe buka atu harii tenki foun. Tamba sa mak la dehan tenki foun? Ida nee kondisaun ida neebe normalmente hakerek iha tender ka konvite.

Tamba hatene ona katak iha ida neebe tuan budu hela ka? Ami la divida katak sira nia intensaun mak sentral neebe atu harii la dun presize foun, tamba sira hatene ona sé mak atu lori sentral tuan ida mai. Los ka lae? Governu de faktu tenki hatan deit. Sei ami sala, ami hein deit imi esklarese. Ami hein imi nia hatan sei la los.

Ami suspeita ida nee makas tamba, la iha kompanhia professional ida neebe atu hatan ba projetu bot ida hanesa nee iha semana rua nia laran deit.

La iha mos kompanhia ida neebe seriu neebe bele hahu harii sentral no buat seluk too ramata iha tinan ida nia laran.

Nee hatudu deit,
1. Sira iha ona ema ida neebe sira hakarak fo kontratu bot nee ba, no
2. Sentral tuan ida budu hela deit atu lori mai.

Buat rua nee la diak ba nasaun no povo Timor-Leste tamba ita sei la hetan nem teknologia ida neebe diak no efisienti, no ita la hetan folin diak no sentral no ekipamentus diak tamba tempu badak la fo oportunidade ba kompanhia ida neebe diak iha mundu laran bele hatama sira nia proposta.

Sosa sentral ida ho folin liu USD$300 milhoes laos hanesa hola taxi ka hola trator tempu CNRT neeba.

Ami dehan ho lian makas: nee hili sala no aat bot husi governu de faktu ida nee. Tansa mak la halau ba oin deit estudu murak no sustentavel kona ba hidro eletriku no gas natural, no biomassa neebe la foir hanesa mina toda?

Tamba laos sira nia maluk ruma mak atu hetan osan karik.

Depois tintinan ita sei tenki hola nafatin mina ho folin aas. Maske ita iha ita nia mina rasik, ita sei buka tama iha kuak bot ekonomiku sei ita buka uza ita nia mina deit, tamba loron ruma mina sei laiha ona nusa? Hare deit ba Indoensia nia problema horas dadaun.

Ou tamba assessor ruma mak agora tau fali hanoin seluk? Iha nee, ohin hikas, ami hakarak fo hatene ba assessors neebe lori sira nia agenda mai katak buat neebe sei mosu aat ba ita nia Povo, neebe osan Povo nian mak lakon, amu sei buka imi atu lori hatan ba justisa iha neebe neebe deit mak imi hanoin imi atu halai.

Hau konvida kolegas deputadus hotu neebe hakarak buka lia los kona ba hau nia deklarasaun atu buka le deit Dokumentu Konvite.

Hau hakfodak liu katak dokumentu konvite nee la iha nem lia fuan ida kona ba Tau Matan ba impaktu Ambiental ka impaktu social negativu. La tau obrigasaun kona ba ida nee.

Projetu ida neebe lori kombustivel ida neebe foir liu iha mundu la iha impaktu ambiental? No ita tenki hanoin, bainhira ita kolian impaktu ambiental katak Povu sira mak moris besik liu sentral hirak nee. Sentral hirak nee atu harii iha neebe mos ita seidauk hatene.

Maibe iha loron badak, semana seit, no fulan deit buat hotu hotu tenki pronto ona.

Ami hanoin katak ho attitude ida nee, Povo barak mak sei terus, no porblema barak mak sei mosu. Problemas oioin deit. Problemas hanesa taxi neebe sai besi tuan no hanesan trator tempu CNRT nian karik.

FRETILIN la iha objesaun bainhira iha proposta atu halau prosessu ida neebe bele dezenvolve Povo no nasaun ho responsabilidae no sustentabilidade.

Maibe buat neebe halo sem plane, sem programa neebe diak ba Povo, ami sei kontra. Liliu tamba ami iha nee atu tau matan ba Povo nia osan, Povo nia riku soin. Keta sentral nee mos marka Prado karik?

Ikus liu, ami seidauk haree estudu viabilidade ekonomiku husi governu kona ba proposta projetu bot ida nee. Nee mos it abele dehan, politika hola taxi deit, tamba la interessa ba sustentabilidade ka viabilidade.

Ami la husik imi halau governasaun hanesa ba hola taxi ka trator.

FRETILIN deklara ona: Ami sei la rekonesi arbiru deit akordu neebe governu ilegitimu ida nee halo. Tamba nee ami fo avisu bot ida: sé sé deit mak atu hatama sira nia proposal ba governu de faktu ida nee, husu ba katak sira lori imi nia proposal tomak mai parlamentu atu ami mos bele hare ho diak no aprova, tamba governu de sei hakarak parlamentu aprova selu imi nia investimentu iha tinan tolu tuir mai.

FRETILIN pronto aprova buat hotu neebe transparente, sustentavel no iha folin ba ita nia Povo.
Projetu ida nee halo la liu pratika diak iha mundu kona ba transparensia nem hatudu katak atu iha folin diak ba Povo. Laos mos sustentavel. Hanesa nee ami chumba. Nee Dr Mari Alkatiri hatete ona ba malai sira iha Washington iha fulan ida nee no sira mos konkorda: governasaun tenki transparent no etikal atu FRETILIN bele apoia projetus nasionais neebe sira halau.

Ami hatete klaru ba maluk kontrator neebe hanoin atu investi iha porjetu ida nee: ami sei la selu imi nia osan tuir kontratu neebe imi halo ho governu ilegitimu sei la transparente no sei la aprovadu husi parlamentu nasional.

No mos, sé sé deit mak buka halo kolusi iha prosessu nee nia laran, ami sei hakotu imi nia kontratu tamba kolusi nee krime, no ami sei buka imi iha neebe neebe deit.

Nee avisu todan, maibe ita hotuhotu iha responsabilidade todan: tau matan ba Povo nia osan no rikusoin. Tamba nee mak ami nia liafuan mos todan.

Mak nee deit. Ami sei tau matan kroat ba kestaun ida nee.

Komunikadu Imprensa - Sekretáriu Jeral FRETILIN nian, Dr Mari AlkAtiri fila hikas mai ona Timor Leste

FRENTE REVOLUCIONARIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE

FRETILIN

KOMUNIKADU IMPRENSA
Dili, 28 Juñu 2008

Sekretáriu Jeral FRETILIN nian, Dr Mari AlkAtiri fila hikas mai ona Timor Leste, sabadu kotuk hafoin halo vizita semana lima ba Europa, Áfrika no Amérika.

Iha konferénsia imprensa halo iha sede partidu nian iha Komoro, Dr. Alkatiri explika katak delegasaun FRETILI lao lemorai, la'os atu fasi roupa foer uma laran nian. Sira husu komunidade international atu continua tulun nafatin Timor-Leste. La'os atu fó osan deit maibé tenke halo mo'os fiskalizasaun ba programas ne'ebé halao ho osan ne'ebé Timor-Leste simu hosi komunidade internasional.

Dr. Alkatiri esklarese katak nia la simu premiu iha Amérika, maibé, simu elojiu bo'ot no hosi ema barak kona ba Fundu Minarai ne'eb hari iha tempu I Governu Konstusional ne'ebé nia rasik lidera.

Kona ba orsamentu rectifikativu ne'ebé Governu ható ba Parlamentu Nasional, ne'ebé a'as liu Orsamentu Jeral de Estadu ba tinan 2008, Dr. Alkatiri hatete : "N'ee hanesan orjia do poder, halo nar'naran deit. Iha orsamentu retifikativu, governu hakarak mo'os hari'i Fundu estabilizasaun ekonómika, ne'ebé husu tokun rihun rua lima nulu , USD$250 milhoens. Dr Alkatiri dehak katak nia la konkorda tamba ne'e "inkonstutusional no la tuir orsamentu minimu. Governu la aprezenta justifikasaun ho programas konkretus ba fundu ne'e. Ida ne'e bele sai deit saku azul hanesan iha tempu Suharto nian. Fundu ne'e ba duni estabilizasaun ekonomika ka bele sai fali fundu ba instabilizasaun polítika?", Dr. Alkatiri husu.

Kona ba presus ne'ebé aumenta ba bei'beik Dr. Alkatiri hatete: " Governu tenki hola medidas urjentes ho tempu badak tebes. La'os fó deit subsídiu. Tenke aumenta produsaun, aumenta servisu, hanoin ba agrikulturam, peskas, atividade lor'loron povu nian, reforsa saúde, edukasaun, trasnporte, ligasaun agrikultura ho komérsiu. La'os aumenta dependénsia povu ba subsídiu. Ne'e la'os governasaun".

Bainhira Dr. Alkatiri hetan ho MCC – Milenniun Challenge Corporation, iha Amérika, sira hatete ba nia katak iha 2006, Timor-Leste avansadu ba simu apoiu hosi MCC, maibé, falha deit maka iha kritériu konsulta popular, la'os tamba iha korupsaun.

Ba mo'os konferénsia ne'e, Prezidenti ASDT, Sr. Franscisco Xavier, Prezidenti Kota, Sr. Manuel Tilman no Reprezentante Prezidenti PPT nian.

Iha sira nain rua nia diskursu sira hatete katak sira hakarak tanen Tilor-Leste no hamo'os korupsaun.

Militantes no simpatizantes FRETILIN hatudu sábadu kotuk katak sira hadomi no iha respeito ba Dr. Alkatiri núdar Sekretáriu Jeral FRETILIN nian no núdar líder istótiku partidu FRETILIN nian ne'ebé sei importante nafatin ba futuru partidu nian no mo'os ba Timor-Leste.

Kontaktu: José Teixeira, tel 727 7080
_______________________________________________________________________
Nota adisional: Enkontrus halo iha Amérika: Dr. Alkatiri no José Teixeira, deputadu FRETILIN nian, no eis Ministru Rekursus Naturais, hetan malu ho responsáveis hanesan Sr. Christopher Hill, Asistente Sekretáriu Estadu, Sr. Scott Marciel, Secretáriu-Adjuntu ba Ázia-Pasífiku no Sr. David Price, Prezidenti Komité Demokrasia nian hosi Kaza Reprezentantes nian responsáveis, Nia mo'os hetan funsionárius hosi "United States Agency for International Development", "National Democratic Institute for International Affairs" , " International Republican Institute", "Millennium Challenge Corporation", "Peterson Institute for International Economic Development" no Banco Mundial.

Media Release:Key aspect of Gusmao gun law defeated in Timor Leste parliament

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE

FRETILIN

Media Release
June 26, 2008

Key aspect of Gusmao gun law defeated in Timor Leste parliament

Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão’s de facto AMP government suffered a stunning defeat in the national parliament late yesterday afternoon, when its proposal to grant the sole discretionary power to license civilians to have firearms to the Timor-Leste National Police Commander was defeated. By a vote of 23 votes in favor, 11 against and 3 abstentions, the operative section in the draft proposed law (section 4) was deleted, said FRETILIN’s parliamentary leader, Aniceto Guterres.

FRETILIN holds the largest block of seats in the Timor-Leste National Parliament, 21 seats from a total of 65.

“An alternative motion to amend the important section 4, by considerably limiting the category of persons entitled to be authorized to obtain and carry firearms, was withdrawn during the heated and emotive debate, because the mover of the motion became convinced that the law was too liberal and should be more restrictive of who can have and carry firearms. FRETILIN is happy that the debate was so fulsome and productive that it resulted in even members of parliament allied to the AMP seeing the inappropriateness of the draft law,” said Guterres.

With section 4 struck out, the draft law is in tatters. This was the operative section, and without a substituting clause, the law has no mechanism to authorize the issuing of firearms licenses.

“Those who need to carry weapons in the course of their duties, such as the Defense Forces and Police are able to do so. They have their own laws that permit it. The public do not want to widen that category to include persons for whom it is not essential they have firearms to perform their duty effectively and lawfully. We reject totally the argument by some AMP MPs that many others are potentially in danger whilst performing their duty and should therefore be able to carry firearms. If we apply this category, then Timor-Leste will potentially be like the ‘Wild West’, where everyone will be toting guns. We don’t want that kind of society and its clear neither do our people. Like our people, we reject this ‘armed to the teeth’ approach to living,” added Guterres.

Guterres says that this episode has given both the de facto government and its parliamentary wing the chance to consult with FRETILIN, PUN, PD, PSD, KOTA/PPT and ASDT, as well as its own MPs who opposed the direction of the draft gun laws, to try to find acceptable changes.

“We need consensus on laws such as these. We in FRETILIN will always be open to dialogue towards enacting a sound, workable anti-gun law that embodies our people’s aspirations and that has been attained by consensus. We need a strong law that says, ‘Less Guns in Our Midst! Let’s End the Culture of Violence!’ That's what we all want,” Guterres said in closing.

Contact: Jose Teixeira +670 728 7080
Nilva Guimaraes +670 734 0389

Media Release: FRETILIN opposes Gusmao government’s liberal and suspect gun laws

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE

FRETILIN

Media Release
June 25, 2008

FRETILIN opposes Gusmao government’s liberal and suspect gun laws


FRETILIN, Timor-Leste’s largest party, vigorously opposed attempts by Mr Gusmão’s AMP de-facto government to have parliament pass a law giving the Police Commander the sole and discretionary power to authorize civilians to obtain and possess firearms, said FRETILIN's parliamentary leader, Aniceto Guterres in Dili today.

Guterres also chaired Timor-Leste's historic Truth, Reception and Reconciliation Commission and sat as a member of the Truth and Friendship Commission established to investigate and uncover the truth behind the Indonesian military atrocities in Timor-Leste in 1999. “The history of firearms in the hands of civilians has contributed to all the bloody episodes in our country’s tortured history. I have no doubt every citizen rejects any notion of licensing civilians to possess firearms,” he said.

The draft of the proposed law currently being debated in the national parliament has been opposed by members of Mr Gusmão’s own coalition parties, including the President of Social Democratic Party, Mario Carrascalão, who yesterday voted against the introduction of the law in general terms. KOTA, the Democratic Party and other parties also criticized the move on the basis that the people of Timor-Leste had already been traumatized by firearms and are not ready for a law permitting civilians to possess firearms.

“This proposed law, just like most proposed laws that the de facto government is putting forward, has not been released for public consultation and comment. There has been no scrutiny by the public. Don’t they trust the people of Timor-Leste and our civil society? There is no way this draft law would have come this far had it been the subject of public consultation. Since the debate started yesterday FRETILIN has received expression of concern from many in the public and civil society regarding the proposals to permit civilians to be armed. We will fight to promote the public’s desire to prevent weapons falling into the hands of civilians,” said Guterres.

FRETILIN is also concerned that there are no oversight or appeal mechanisms over the sole and discretionary power of the Police Commander to authorize and decline licenses to people. The Timor-Leste National Police was identified as a highly politicized and weak state institution by the 2006 UN International Commission of Inquiry. The Commission of Inquiry also highlighted the impact of the breakdown of its command in the ensuing violent crisis that engulfed the nation.

“What also concerns us, given the inadequate oversight and appeal mechanisms, are that this legal discretion could be used politically and improperly - that is to allow civilians with one political inclination access to firearms and deny others access because of their political affiliations. This makes this draft law far too dangerous and very, very suspicious,” concluded Guterres.

Contact: Jose Teixeira +670 728 7080
Nilva Guimaraes +670 734 0389

Media Release: Timor-Leste petroleum law opens door to corruption

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE

FRETILIN

Media Release
23 June 2008

Timor-Leste petroleum law opens door to corruption

Timor-Leste's new petroleum law has been drawn up in secrecy and haste and opens the door to corruption and mismanagement of the country's gas and oil revenues, FRETILIN said today.

“Greater public consultation and parliamentary scrutiny of this law is critically important to the future of our nation,” said FRETILIN MP and former Minister for Natural Resources, Minerals and Energy Policy, Jose Teixeira.

Xanana Gusmão's Parliamentary Majority Alliance de facto government (known by its Portuguese acronym AMP) enacted its National Petroleum Authority Decree Law on June 18.

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) will replace the Timor Sea Designated Authority (TSDA) for the Joint Petroleum Development Area shared between Timor Leste and Australia. The NPA will also be responsible for regulating all petroleum exploration, production, processing and sales activities offshore and onshore in Timor-Leste.

“This law should not have been passed by decree of the Council of Ministers meeting in secret but should have been sent to parliament for scrutiny and approval,” Teixeira said.

“Also, the public was only given five working days to comment on the draft law, making a mockery of public consultation,” he said.

He said the draft law violates basic principles of the constitution and existing petroleum law and weakens parliamentary control over the petroleum sector and petroleum fund spending.

"Whenever the former FRETILIN government enacted any laws in the petroleum sector, we held wide public consultation and took time to receive and examine all public input. To us it was critically important for all stakeholders, especially our people and civil society, to understand fully and give their views on the laws we proposed to enact.”

Timor-Leste’s petroleum fund created by the former FRETILIN government now totals almost US$3 billion in savings, and was rated the third most transparent sovereign wealth fund by the Peterson Institute for International Economics, second only to those of Norway and New Zealand.

“Petroleum is vital to the future of our nation. It has also has caused untold problems of corruption and environmental damage, and led to social and political conflict, in many countries,” Teixeira said.

“Meaningful public consultation that allows all stakeholders to contribute to enacting good law and reach consensus is the only way to avoid such conflict arising in Timor Leste.

“It is clear that many national and international stakeholders are disappointed and concerned with the secrecy and unnecessary haste with which this draft law has been managed.

“Parliament's own Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee did not even see a draft of the law. For the past six months, FRETILIN members have been asking the de facto Minister responsible for Natural Resources and/or his Secretary of State to appear before the Committee to outline developments in the petroleum sector, without any response.

“The de facto government's own press statements mention agreements with foreign oil companies to provide technical assistance to draft laws regarding the national optimisation objectives for Timor Leste's downstream petroleum sector.

“However, these agreements are shrouded in unnecessary secrecy, arousing suspicion amongst civil society and other stakeholders in the petroleum sector.”

On 10 April 2008 President Jose Ramos Horta called on the Gusmão de facto government to work with FRETILIN to gain national consensus on management of petroleum resources and revenues.

In a media release on 13 June 2008 La´o Hamutuk, a leading civil society group intimately involved with the development of the petroleum sector in Timor-Leste from its inception, was highly critical of the de facto AMP government's secret handling of the NPA law.

In its submission to the de facto government

(http://www.laohamutuk.org/Oil/PetRegime/NPAlaw/08RestructIndex.htm)

La´o Hamutuk said: “One of the 2002-2007 Government's proudest achievements was transcending party differences to achieve a unanimous parliamentary vote for the Petroleum Fund Act. This consensus model should be emulated, not circumvented. Involvement of elected representatives from both the governing parties, and the opposition is essential to provide stability for the future.'

Jose Teixeira said: “In 2006, the then FRETILIN government received wide national and international acclaim for the unprecedented highly transparent manner in which Timor-Leste's inaugural offshore exploration licensing round was managed. The Bid Tender Independent Evaluation Commission's report was published and the minister's decision to award the successful bidders their areas and the full reasons were published. Then the production sharing contracts were published.

“Only the highest levels of transparency can ensure a corruption-free environment.

"Our highly transparent approach has been replaced by one of secrecy and obscurity. Vital questions are now being frequently and widely asked about conflict of interest and potential for collusion and unfair advantage.”

For more information contact:
Jose Teixeira +670 728 7080 (Dili, Timor-Leste)

Komunikadu Imprensa: Timor-Leste nia lei foun kona ba mina rai loke odomatan ba korupsaun

FRENTE REVOLUCIONARIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE

FRETLIN

Komunikadu Imprensa

23 Junu 2008

Timor-Leste nia lei foun kona ba mina rai loke odomatan ba korupsaun

Lei foun kona ba mina rai Timor-Leste nian halo lalais liu no halo subar hosi públiku (sekretu) no ida ne'e sei loke odomatan ba korupsaun no jestaun a'at ba rendimentu gaz no mina rai nian, FRETILIN hatete ohin.

" Importante ba ita nia nasaun nia futuru halo konsulta públika makas liu ta'an no ható lei ne'e ba Parlamentu atu diskute didiak , dehan José Teixeira, eis- Ministru Rekursus Naturais , Minerais no Politika Enerjétika nian.

Maioria Aliansa Parlamentar governu defaktu Xanana Gusmão nian ( koñesidu nudar AMP) aprova dekretu-lei kona ba Autoridade Nasional Mina Rai nian iha 18 Juñu 08.

Autoridade Nasional Minarai (ANM) mak sei halao ba oin knaar Autoridade Dezignada ba Tasi Timor nian atu tau matan ba Área Dezenvolvimentu Konjuntu Minarai nian ba Timor-Leste no Australia. ANM mak sei simu responsabilidade ba regula esplorasaun hotu-hotu iha Timor-Leste kona ba minarai, produsaun, prosesamentu no knaar fan nian, iha tasi no iha rai laran.

" Konsellu Ministrus la devia pasa deit lei ne'e ho deit Governu ninia dekretu , maibé, devia haruka ba Parlamentu diskute no aprova" , Teixeira hatete.

"Sira fo deit loron lima ba públiku halo komentariu kona ba lei ninia esbosu, ne'e hanesan goza fali ho konsulta públika ", nia hatete.

Nia mo'os hatete katak esbosu ne'e viola prinsípius bázikus Konstituisaun RDTL nian no mo'os lei mina rai nian no hamenus kontrole Parlamentu nian ba sektor minarai no despezas fundu minarai nian.

" Hori uluk bainhira FRETILIN sei kaer governasaun, molok ami aprova lei kona ba sektor minarai, ami halo konsulta públika barak no lori tempu naruk ba simu no analiza buat ne'ebé públiku ható ba ami. Ba ami, importante tebes katak parte interesada hotu-hotu, liu-liu ita nia povu no sosiedade sivil atu kompreende didiak no ható sira nia hanoin ba lei ne'ebé ami hakarak aprova".

Fundu Minarai Timor-Leste nian ne'ebé Governu FRETILIN harii, iha ona besik dólar amerikanu bilian tolu iha poupansa, no hetan terseiru lugar núdar avaliasaun ne'ebé "Paterson Institute for International Economics" halo ba fundu oi'oin estadu nian kona ba transparénsia,; kona ba kritériu ida ne'e Timor-Lsete tuir kedas Noruega no Nova Zelândia.

" Minarai importante tebes ba ita nia nasaun nia futuru. Maibé, minarai mo'os hamosu ona problema korupsaun no halo a'at ba ambiente ne'ebé loke dalan ba konfliktu sosial no polítiku , iha rai barak", Teixeira hatete.

" Dalan diak ba ita hase'es a'an hosi konflitu iha Timor-Leste maka Konsulta públika diak ida hodi hetan hotu-hotu nia kontribuisaun no konsensu".

" Ita haré duni katak parte hotu, nasional no internasional sira, laran taridu no preokupa tamba governu halo lei ne'e sub'subar deit no ansi demais".

"Parlamentu ninia Komisaun rasik – Komisaun ba Rekursus Naturais, Agrikultura no Ambiente la haré esbosu lei ne'e ninian. Iha fulan ne'en nia laran, deputadu FRETILIN nian husu bei'beik atu Ministru Rekursus Naturais ka Sekretáriu Estadu atu explika kona ba knaar ne'ebé sira halao kona ba sektor minarai nian, maibé, sira la hatán".

"Governu defaktu ninia komunikadu imprensa rasik hatete sai katak sira halo akordu ho kompañia minarai estranjeiru atu fó asisténsia téknika ba halo esbosu lei nian atu sektor minarai bele hetan benefísiu diak liu. Maibé sira halo akordu sekretu; sira la presiza halo segredu ba ida ne'e, maibé tamba sira halo nonók deit, sosiedade sivil no partes intersadas sektor minarai nian deskonfia sira"

Iha 10 Abril 2008, Prezidenti Ramos Horta husu governu defaktu Gusmão nian atu servisu hamutuk ho FRETILIN atu hetan konsensu nasional ba jestaun minarai no ba ninia rendimentu.

Iha komunikadu imprensa 13 Juñu 2008 La'o Hamutuk, organizasaun importante hosi grupu sosiedade sivil nian, ne'ebé involve a'an fou-foun kedas iha sektor minararai Timor-Leste nian, kritika makás governu AMP tamba prepara nonok deit lei kona ba ANM.

Ne'e mak dokumentu ne'ebé Lao Hamutuk ható ba governu defaktu:
(http://www.laohamutuk.org/Oil/PetRegime/NPAlaw/08RestructIndex.htm)
Lao Hamutuk hatete: "Hosi susesu Governu nian hahú 2002 to 2007, buat ida ne'ebe halo mo'os ita sente orgullu liu, mak bainhira partidu sira se'es hosi buat sira ne'ebé fahe sira hodi hamutuk vota iha Parlamentu ba aprova lei fundu minarai nian. Tenke habelar konsensu ne'e, la'os hamonu fali. Importante involve reprezentantes hosi governu no opozisaun hodi bele hetan estabilidade iha futuru."

José Teixeira hatete: "Iha 2006, ema barak , nasional no internasional sira, mak haklaken makas governu FRETILIN tamba hahú fó lisensa ba esplora ba minarai iha tasi laran tuir mekanism ida ké transparente tebes . Relatóriu Komisaun Independente ba Avaliasaun Konkursu (Tender) publika; publika mo'os sá kompañia mak hetan kontratu no tamba sá ministru deside fó ba sira mak esplora. Hafoin kontratu produsaun fahe ba kompañia no Timor-Leste mo'os publika.

" Ita la tuir ona dalan transparénsia nian, maibé, hili fali dalan sekretu no konfuzu. Ema barak maka husu dala barak ona pergunta importante kona ba konflitu interese, koluzaun no injustisa "

Kontaktu: José Teixeira, tel 7287080

Media Release: Alkatiri urges continuing US support for Timor Leste

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE

FRETILIN

Media Release
23 June 2008

Alkatiri urges continuing US support for Timor Leste

FRETILIN Secretary General Dr Mari Alkatiri has concluded a successful visit to the United States where he urged government and congressional representatives to continue US support for Timor Leste's development.

In Washington DC, Dr Alkatiri met officials including US Assistant Secretary of State, Ambassador Christopher Hill, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia Pacific, Scott Marciel and Representative David Price, Chairman of the US House Of Representatives Democracy Committee.

"The people and state institutions of Timor Leste will continue to need the assistance of the people of the United States to consolidate national peace and stability so as to guarantee continuing social, political and economic progress,' Dr Alkatiri said.

"As the largest political party in Timor Leste with a plurality of seats in parliament, FRETILIN feels a responsibility to make every effort to help in this regard.

"Whatever internal political differences FRETILIN has with other parties in Timor Leste, we all have a responsibility to foster positive external relationships and seek productive outcomes for our nation."

In Washington, Dr Alkatiri also met senior executives and officials of the United States Agency for International Development, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, International Republican Institute, the World Bank, the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the Peterson Institute for International Economic Development.

Dr Alkatiri was accompanied by former Secretary of State for the Council of Ministers, Gregorio da Sousa and FRETILIN MP and former Minister for Natural Resources, Minerals and Energy Policy, Jose Teixeira.

"We made it clear during all our meetings that as the de facto opposition in parliament, FRETILIN and it's allies want to play a positive and constructive role in supporting the state of the Timor-Leste, to build on the foundations laid by the former FRETILIN government to secure sustainable development for our people," Alkatiri said.

"We stressed that in doing so we sought continued assistance and advice of and from these organizations. Their response was very positive and I believe we can expect more from them than we have attained to date. They are very enthusiastic and willing to assist us playing this positive role," Alkatiri added.

During the meetings Dr Alkatiri was praised for his leadership of the first constitutional government that established the foundations of an independent state –especially the Petroleum Fund, legal framework and functioning public administration –which enabled Timor-Leste to withstand the crisis of 2006 and allow a return to normalcy much faster than many expected.

Alkatiri said he assured the Millennium Challenge Corporation that the process of attaining a "compact", which commenced under the former FRETILIN government, would have FRETILIN's ongoing support.

Also in Washington, Dr. Alkatiri briefed ambassadors and representatives of the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Language

Countries) on positive developments towards peace and stability in Timor-Leste in recent weeks.

For more information contact:
Jose Teixeira +670 728 7080 (Dili, Timor-Leste)

Media Release: Alkatiri urges continuing US support for Timor-Leste

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE
FRETILIN

Media Release
23 June 2008

Alkatiri urges continuing US support for Timor-Leste

FRETILIN Secretary General Dr Mari Alkatiri has concluded a successful
visit to the United States where he urged government and congressional
representatives to continue US support for Timor Leste's development.

In Washington DC Dr Alkatiri met officials including US Assistant
Secretary of State, Ambassador Christopher Hill, Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Asia Pacific, Scott Marciel and Representative David
Price, Chairman of the US House Of Representatives Democracy
Committee.

"The people and state institutions of Timor Leste will continue to
need the assistance of the people of the United States to consolidate
national peace and stability so as to guarantee continuing social,
political and economic progress,' Dr Alkatiri said.

"As the largest political party in Timor Leste with a plurality of
seats in parliament, FRETILIN feels a responsibility to make every
effort to help in this regard.

"Whatever internal political differences FRETILIN has with other
parties in Timor Leste, we all have a responsibility to foster
positive external relationships and seek productive outcomes for our
nation."

In Washington, Dr Alkatiri also met senior executives and officials of
the United States Agency for International Development, National
Democratic Institute for International Affairs, International
Republican Institute, the World Bank, the Millennium Challenge
Corporation and the Peterson Institute for International Economic
Development.

Dr Alkatiri was accompanied by former Secretary of State for the
Council of Ministers, Gregorio da Sousa and FRETILIN MP and former
Minister for Natural Resources, Minerals and Energy Policy, Jose
Teixeira.

"We made it clear during all our meetings that as the de facto
opposition in parliament, FRETILIN and it's allies want to play a
positive and constructive role in supporting the state of the
Timor-Leste, to build on the foundations laid by the former FRETILIN
government to secure sustainable development for our people," Alkatiri
said.

"We stressed that in doing so we sought continued assistance and
advice of and from these organizations. Their response was very
positive and I believe we can expect more from them than we have
attained to date. They are very enthusiastic and willing to assist us
playing this positive role," Alkatiri added.

During the meetings Dr Alkatiri was praised for his leadership of the
first constitutional government that established the foundations of an
independent state – especially the Petroleum Fund, legal framework and
functioning public administration – which enabled Timor-Leste to
withstand the crisis of 2006 and allow a return to normalcy much
faster than many expected.

Alkatiri said he assured the Millennium Challenge Corporation that the
process of attaining a "compact", which commenced under the former
FRETILIN government, would have FRETILIN's ongoing support.

Also in Washington, Dr. Alkatiri briefed ambassadors and
representatives of the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Language
Countries) on positive developments towards peace and stability in
Timor-Leste in recent weeks.

For more information contact:

Jose Teixeira +670 728 7080 (Dili, Timor-Leste)

Alkatiri na SIC: "O MUNDO TEM OS OLHOS EM TIMOR" (tirado do Timor Lorosae Nacao)

Alkatiri na SIC: "O MUNDO TEM OS OLHOS EM TIMOR"
.

O ex-primeiro-ministro de Timor-Leste, Mari Alkatiri, preside o maior partido da oposição e senta-se no Parlamento no lugar de deputado. Actualmente em Portugal, vindo de Angola e em vias de partir para os EUA, o secretário-geral da Fretilin anda pelo estrangeiro a reunir apoios. Alkatiri considera que falta pouco para o Governo de Xanana Gusmão chegar ao fim.
.
"O mundo inteiro tem os olhos postos em Timor-Leste", diz Mari Alkatiri, mas não pelas melhores razões. "Logo depois da restauração da independência fomos quase sempre elogioados pela forma como estávamos a conduzir a reconstrução do país e na criação de um estado democrtático de direito", descreve o secretário-geral da Fretilin.
Mas esta situação mudou com a crise de 2006 e com "novo governo que não tem nenhum sentido de Estado", acusa Alkatiri. "Xanana não tem legitimidade para governar o país porque perdeu as eleições, e nos últimos nove meses de governação só gastou dinheiro", acrescentou.
.
Alkatiri descarta a possibilidadede um golpe de Estado: "Não vamos fazer o que outros fizeram em 2006 contra o governo da Fretilim. Vamos fazer um trabalho político mais profundo com a população para esta entender a situação e ver a diferença entre estes dois governos".
O secretário-geral da Fretilim diz que a actual aliança está a sofrer baixas e que falta pouco para mostrar que o governo de Xanana Gusmão "tem os dias contados". "Vai haver auditorias às contas do governo porque há muitas alegações de corrupção", afirmou.

.
ENTREVISTA DE MARI ALKATIRI À SIC - Transcrita por Margarida
.
SIC: (...) Qual é o objectivo desta sua viagem pelo estrangeiro?
Mari Alkatiri: Eu penso que todo o mundo tem ainda os olhos postos em Timor-Leste e há necessidade que como o maior partido do país, não é o maior partido da oposição, somos realmente o maior partido do país, consigamos fazer chegar aquilo que nós entendemos ser a versão mais correcta da explicação da situação actual em Timor-Leste.
.
SIC: Quando diz que o mundo inteiro tem os olhos postos em Timor-Leste já não é pelas melhores razões, pois não?
Mari Alkatiri: Há uma preocupação muito grande do mundo em relação a Timor-Leste porque logo depois da restauração da independência fomos quase sempre elogiados pelas instituições internacionais e não só pelos países amigos pela forma como estávamos a conduzir o processo de reconstrução do país e fundamentalmente o processo da criação de um Estado democrático de direito.
.
SIC: Não está concretizado?
Mari Alkatiri: Naturalmente que sofreu um recuo tremendo a partir de 2006 com a crise que se verificou no nosso país e que ainda está em curso e com o novo governo que não tem nenhum sentido de Estado, não tem noção de Estado e que tudo tem feito no sentido de impor a vontade pessoal de uma só pessoa.
.
SIC: Xanana Gusmão?
Mari Alkatiri: Naturalmente...
.
SIC: Que o senhor considera que não tem capacidade para governar o país?
Mari Alkatiri: Eu considero sim que para além de não ter legitimidade para governar o país, porque perdeu as eleições, já demonstrou durante 8 meses de governação, quase 9 meses, que a governação para Xanana é gastar dinheiro e pouco mais...
.
SIC: O Senhor esteve em Angola, li declarações suas a dizer que tinha o apoio do MPLA, estes apoios que reúne o que é que pretende fazer com eles, pretende antecipar eleições em Timor?
Mari Alkatiri: A situação que vai determinar a antecipação das eleições é a situação interna no país...todos acompanharam...
.
SIC: Mas não há uma demissão de Xanana Gusmão ou há um golpe de Estado?
Mari Alkatiri: Não, não haverá um golpe de Estado. Nós já demonstrámos que não vamos repetir aquilo que os outros fizeram em 2006 contra o governo da Fretilin.
Nós pensamos que há a necessidade de um trabalho político mais profundo com a população para a população compreender perfeitamente a situação e ver a diferença entre a governação da Fretilin e a governação agora de Xanana e dos seus aliados. Naturalmente que a própria dita Aliança da Maioria Parlamentar já sofreu baixas. Há um partido da aliança que já abandonou a aliança, há outro que é a oposição interna da própria aliança portanto há baixas sistemáticas da própria aliança...
Neste momento podemos dizer que faltam só algumas medidas a serem tomadas para mostrar claramente a Xanana que a governação dele tem os dias contados.
.
SIC: Que medidas são essas?
Mari Alkatiri: São medidas que têm a ver com auditorias a contas do governo para tirar absolutamente dúvidas, há alegações de corrupção de toda a ordem, de esbanjamento do erário público, há alegações de má governação, de actos legislativos que são ilegais e inconstitucionais, portanto tudo isso acho que é o suficiente para mostrar a Xanana Gusmão que não só não tem capacidade para governar como não tem legitimidade.
.
SIC: Quem são os seus apoios em Portugal?
Mari Alkatiri: Eu naturalmente que eu não quero de forma alguma que Portugal apoie A, B, ou C, eu quero que Portugal deve apoiar é o projecto nacional de criação de um Estado de direito democrático, e isso significa o reforço do primado da lei na vida do país, na área do reforço da justiça, uma administração pública transparente, uma boa governação para o país.
.
SIC: Se o Senhor não quisesse que Portugal tomasse posição não estaria em Portugal a tentar contactos com algumas individualidades. Com certeza que é a sua opinião que lhes veio transmitir?
Mari Alkatiri: Naturalmente que trago a minha opinião...
.
SIC: Por isso é que lhe perguntei que apoios já conseguiu com estas suas viagens...
Mari Alkatiri: O que eu acho que é fundamental, o que eu acho que é fundamental é continuarmos a manter em Portugal um consenso em torno de um Estado viável em Timor-Leste. Eu trago factos para comprovar que com Xanana não teremos um Estado viável.
.
SIC: O senhor geriu o petróleo com a criação de um fundo que já ultrapassou em muito as expectativas, que já atingiu o valor que era esperado ter em 2019. O que é que acontece em Timor para que este projecto não se consiga traduzir numa melhor qualidade de vida para a população?
Mari Alkatiri: Se Xanana continuar no governo com a sua aliança naturalmente que isto não acontecerá. Xanana está a governar o país com um orçamento equivalente a quatro anos de Orçamento de Estado do meu tempo. Mesmo assim há pura e simplesmente o esbanjamento. Subsidia consumos, o que cria mais dificuldades a uma certa competitividade da produção interna com o produto importado. O produto importado torna-se tão barato, tão barato pelos subsídios que ele impõe que naturalmente que desincentiva a produção interna o que significa que desincentiva a própria economia, o desenvolvimento da economia nacional. A continuar-se com esta maneira de governar naturalmente que o fundo de petróleo algum dia esgota e nada se faz no sentido de criar uma alternativa ao próprio fundo de petróleo.
.
SIC: O que justifica após todos estes anos, com as riquezas naturais que Timor-Leste tem que não tenha havido da parte do investimento estrangeiro vontade de entrar no território e de o fazer desenvolver também. Há entraves por parte da governação?
Mari Alkatiri: Não, de forma alguma. A própria situação objectivamente desde 2002 a 2006 não era propícia a uma atracção de investimento externo, porque havia ausência de instituições com capacidade para gerir esse investimento, e ausência de infra-estruturas. Portanto a partir do momento em que começámos a receber as receitas do petróleo, do fundo de petróleo estaríamos em condições de avançar para o investimento público com agressividade, com ousadia para poder criar essas condições infra-estruturais e ao mesmo tempo capacitar as nossas instituições internas, as nossas instituições do Estado e também privadas, públicas e privadas e para poder realmente entrar para o mercado e também gerir esse investimento.
.
SIC: Mas há alguma economia capaz de absorver e de aproveitar esses fundos ou tinha tudo de ser feito com investimento público?
Mari Alkatiri: Não, o investimento público deve ser feito para criar as condições para que pudesse atrair mais investimento privado internacional.
.
SIC: Qual o papel de Ramos Horta no país neste momento?
Mari Alkatiri: Neste momento Ramos Horta representa um papel de equilíbrio no país, porque no fundo apesar de ter sido eleito contra o candidato da Fretilin tem o apoio da Fretilin para poder garantir o equilíbrio político, o equilíbrio social em Timor-Leste.
.
SIC: Com quem é que o Senhor tem relações de Estado. O Senhor dá-se bem com Ramos Horta?
Mari Alkatiri: Relações de Estado com Ramos Horta são boas, naturalmente que há diferenças, sempre houve diferenças entre nós, mas neste momento ele está a ocupar uma posição cimeira no Estado de Timor-Leste e tem o nosso apoio no sentido de poder realmente ajudar a criar condições para se ultrapassar a crise.
.
SIC: Mari Alkatiri muito obrigado (...)
.
A Fábrica dos Blogs agradece à Margarida pela transcrição
.

DEKLARASAUN BANKADA PARLAMENTAR FRETILIN NIAN KONA BA LEI TRIBUTÁRIA, IHA 5 JUÑU 2008

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE

FRETILIN

Dili, 5 Juñu 2008

DEKLARASAUN BANKADA PARLAMENTAR FRETILIN NIAN KONA BA LEI TRIBUTÁRIA, IHA 5 JUÑU 2008

Bainhira ita hakarak halo reforma, ita nia objetivu atu hodi hari sistema administrasau no jestaun finanseira ida ke diak no efisiente atu nuné bele servi interese povu no nasaun rai doben ida ne’e. Ne’e duni ita hakarak hari sistema tributáriu ida ke diak hodi servi povu no intereses nasaun nian. Sistema ne’ebé hari mos tenki kontribui ba hametin justisa sosial hodi nune’e bele mos hasae kbit moris ita nia povu nian. Ne’e duni ita tenki hari sistema ida ke hametin interese nasional no mos loke dalan atu lori investimentu estranjeirus mai rai laran.

Maibé ami haré katak Governu de faktu ida ne’e halo sasán arbiru deit tamba la halo/aprezenta politika no la halo estudu ida kona ba implikasoens makro-ekonómikas sistema tributáriu ida ne’e. Estudu ida ne’e importante hodi haré nia impaktu ba kreximentu ekonómiku no ba ita nia povu nia moris. La iha estudu ida ke fo’o justifikasau klaru kona ba impaktu sistema tributáriu ida ne’e ba dezenvolvimentu ekonómiku no riku soin ita nian. Governu ida ne’e la hato’o argumentu ida ke bele konsidera sustentável bainhira sira implementa sistema tributáriu ida ne’e.

Governu de faktu ida ne’e hatete katak sira hakarak simplifika sistema tributáriu maibé, tuir ami nia haré, sistema ida ne’e sei kria kofuzaun, liliu kuandu tau hamutuk no kahur arbiru deit sistema tributáriu ida ne’e ho fali sistema tributáriu ba mina rai no gaz nian. Ida ne’e halo kunfusaun bo’ot i bele halo ita lakon osan ka reseitas barak ne’ebé bele hetan husi explorasaun gaz no mina rai.

Governu de faktu AMP ida ne’e hatete katak sira hatún impostu/taxa tamba;

- ohin loron ita iha osan barak mai husi mina rai no gaz, ne’e duni ita lalika preokupa ho kobransa ba reseitas doméstikas naun- petrolíferas;

- Sasan nia folin bele tun tamba impostu/taxa importasaun tun;

- Bele lori investimentus estaranjeirus barak mai ita nia rain i nune’e bele loke servisu barak ba timor oan sira.




Ami, Bankada FRETILIN haré katak ho sistema tributáriu ida ne’e:

- Ita nia rain sei depende makás liu tan ba fundu mina rai i nune’e Governu tenki hasai deit osan barak husi Fundu Mina Rai ba tau iha Orsamentu Jeral du Estadu;

- La iha justisa tamba timor oan ne’ebé sevisu iha rai laran selu impostu/taxa oituan i sira ne’ebé servisu iha mina rai selu impostu barak liu;

- Fo’o oportunidade ba Kompanhia bo’ot sira atu halai se’es a’an hosi impostu/taxa i dala barak bele la selu tan impostu/taxa ba sira nia rendimentu;

- Ita nia rai ne’ebé depende barak liu ba importasaun, lei ida ne’e sei la fo’o protesaun ba ita nia sektor produtivu no emprezariadu nasional;

- Kobransa ba reseitas doméstikas sei tun makás liu tamba Governu AMP hatún tiha kobransa impostus ba sasán luxu;

- Sasán nia folin sei la tún no inflasaun sei sa’e makás i nune’e sei fo’o todan liu tan ba povu ki’ik nia moris;

- Kareta luxu sira sei baratu ba ema riku maibé povu ki’ik sei hein deit esmola hodi bele moris ho sasán, hanesan fo’os no aihan seluk folin a’as ba bebeik;

- Ema riku sei riku ba bei’beik maibé, povu kiak sei kiak liu tan.

Ita bele haré katak ho sistema tributáriu ida ne’e, bele halo ema barak sei halai husi foho mai sidade tamba produtus ne’ebé sira iha [produtus lokal] sei labele kompete ho produtu importadus mai husi rai liur ne’ebé sei baratu liu.

Governu AMP nia Lei Tributária ida ne’e fo’o mos vantajen ba importadores produtus sira hanesan tabaku no tua ne’ebé bele fó impaktu negativu tebe’tebes ba saúde ita nia povu nian, liliu ba jovens sira moris. Ema barak mak sei moras nafatin tan hemu tua no fuma tabaku. Estadu sei gasta osan barak hodi halo tratamentu ba moras hirak ne’e.

Ami fiar katak investidores sira la mai investe iha ita nia rain tan deit impostu ki’ik maibé, sira sei haré mos ba kondisoens hanesan estabilidade, justisa, infraestruturas, rekursus umanus ne’ebé diak ho tan buat seluk.

Media Release:Alkatiri to pursue defamation action following US court vindication

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE

FRETILIN

Media Release

June 4, 2008

Alkatiri to pursue defamation action following US court vindication

FRETILIN today welcomed a United States District Court decision to dismiss a legal action by the US company Oceanic Exploration, which falsely alleged a competitor gained access to Timor Sea petroleum fields by bribing Timor-Leste officials and politicians.

Oceanic’s claims included an absurd allegation that former Timor-Leste Prime Minister and FRETILIN Secretary General, Dr Mari Alkatiri was paid a bribe of US$2 million to sign and push through the Timor Sea Treaty.

Dr Alkatiri said today he would pursue legal action for extensive defamation over a period of three years by Timor-Leste politicians and media, which had used Oceanic’s baseless slanders to engage in a political witch-hunt against him.

FRETILIN President Francisco Guterres ‘Lú-Olo’ said today it was noteworthy that local and foreign media, which have repeatedly reported Oceanic’s baseless allegations, had failed to report the US District Court judgement issued six weeks ago.

Oceanic and its Portuguese subsidiaries (collectively known as ‘Petrotimor’) had sought damages against US company Conoco Phillips, which operates the biggest petroleum field in the Timor Sea, alleging corrupt conduct by Phillips Petroleum (the forerunner to Conoco Phillips) in paying bribes.

On 16 April 2008, Judge Lynn N Hughes of the US District Court in Houston, Texas dismissed the 30-billion-dollar lawsuit brought by Petrotimor and Oceanic Exploration against ConocoPhillips, the Timor Sea Designated Authority (TSDA) and others in March 2004.

Judge Hughes described Oceanic’s “evidence” as “over 50 pages of trivia”, “a list of gossip and debris”, “not cogent” and “assumptions –nothing more”.

Dr Alkatiri has strenuously denied the allegations from the outset and started legal action for defamation against Timor-Leste political figures who repeated the allegations publicly.

Lú-Olo said today he always believed the allegations were politically motivated and the court would vindicate Dr Alaktiri.

Lu Olo said: “In throwing out this case the court has also called to account politicians such as the current President of the Parliament, Fernando Araujo Lasama, who defamed Dr Alkatiri at the time by demanding his resignation because of these baseless allegations. Fernando Araujo Lasama and the others should apologise to Dr Alkatiri and his family, without delay.

“These allegations were the beginning of a political witch-hunt against Dr Alkatiri and his family, aimed at forcing his resignation as Prime Minister.

“Dr Alkatiri vehemently denied these nonsensical allegations, but even foreign ambassadors repeated them in an attempt to malign the then prime minister’s good name and reputation. I want to see him get justice for the malicious campaign against him.”

Lu Olo said it would be difficult to pursue legal remedies in Timor Leste given the notoriously partisan behaviour of the highly political Prosecutor General.

“Dr Alkatiri earlier lodged a complaint with the Prosecutor General in Dili for action against Mr Fernando Araujo Lasama, then President of the Democratic Party, which was in opposition to the former FRETILIN Government headed by Dr Alkatiri. Despite repeated requests the Prosecutor General has refused to prosecute Dr Alkatiri’s defamation complaint, which under The Timor-Leste Criminal Code is a criminal offence.

“This failure, neglect or refusal to act by the Prosecutor General is politically motivated, like so many of his activities,” concluded Lu Olo.

Contact: Jose Teixeira +670 728 7080; Nilva Guimaraes +670 734 0389

To obtain a copy of the judgment please email fretilin.media@gmail.com

Comunicado de Imprensa: ALKATIRI PROSSEGUIRÁ COM O PROCESSO LEGAL CONTRA A DIFAMAÇÃO

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE

FRETILIN 

_______________________________________________________________________
COMUNICADO DE IMPRENSA

4 de Junho de 2008

ALKATIRI PROSSEGUIRÁ COM O PROCESSO LEGAL CONTRA A DIFAMAÇÃO

A FRETILIN saudou o Tribunal Distrital dos Estados Unidos da América por ter decidido rejeitar a acção legal levantada pela companhia americana “Oceanic Exploration” que alegava que uma outra companhia concorrente tinha conseguido ganhar o contrato de exploração às jazidas petrolíferas do Mar de Timor-Leste por ter pago suborno aos governantes e politicos timorenses.

A queixa incluía uma alegação absurda que dizia que o antigo Primeiro-Ministro de Timor-Leste e Secretário-Geral da FRETILIN, Dr. Mari Alkatiri, tinha recebido um suborno de 2 milhões de dólares americanos para a assinatura e o avanço do Tratado sobre o Mar de Timor-Leste.

Dr. Alkatiri disse no passado dia 4 de Junho que prosseguirá com o processo legal contra a difamação extensiva de que foi vítima durante três anos, movida por políticos e pelos media que se basearam em calúnias infundamentadas para fazer a sua politica de “caça às bruxas” contra ele.

O juíz Hughes descreveu as “evidências” da Oceanic como “ mais de 50 páginas banais” , “uma lista de fofocas e disparates”, “não convincente” e “suposições – nada mais”.





Dr. Alkatiri negou vigorosamente estas alegações desde o início e meteu na altura uma acção legal por difamação contra as figuras políticas que fizeram eco dessas alegações em várias ocasiões públicas.
Lu’Olo disse que sempre acreditou que estas alegações tinham motivação política e que o tribunal haveria de demonstrar a inocência de Alkatiri.
Lu Olo disse: “ Por ter rejeitado este caso, o Tribunal também chamou a contas os politicos tais como o actual Presidente do Parlamento, Fernando de Araújo Lasama, que difamou Dr. Alkatiri na altura ao exigir a sua resignação com base nessas alegações infudamentadas. Fernando de Araújo Lasama e as outras pessoas que o difamaram, deveriam pedir desculpas ao Dr. Alkatiri e à sua família sem qualquer demora”.

“Estas alegações foram o começo de uma política de “caça às bruxas” movida contra o Dr. Alkatiri e a sua família com o objectivo de forçar a sua resignação como Primeiro-Ministro”.
O Presidente da FRETILIN, Francisco Guterres Lu’Olo disse que era digno de nota que os medias locais e estrangeiros que tinham feito tanto eco das alegações infundamentadas da Oceanic não tenham divulgado a decisão do tribunal distrital americano emitida há seis semanas.
A Oceanic e as suas subsidiárias portuguesas (melhor conhecidas colectivamente por "Petrotimor") tentaram obter compensação da companhia americana Conoco Phillips que explora o maior campo petrolífero no Mar de Timor-Leste alegando prática de corrupção por parte da Phillips Petroleum ( antecessora da Conoco Phillips) por ter pago subornos para ganhar o contrato de exploração.
Em 16 de Abril 2008, o Juíz Lynn N. Hughes do Tribunal Distrital dos EUA, em Houston, Texas, rejeitou a acção legal de 30 biliões de dólares americanos iniciada pela Petrotimor e a Oceanic Exploration contra a ConocoPhillips, a Autoridade Nomeada para o Mar de Timor-Leste (TSDA) e outros, em Março de 2004.

Dr. Alkatiri negou veementemente essas alegações infundamentadas mas embaixadores estrangeiros também tentaram servir delas para manchar o seu bom nome e reputação. Houve uma campanha maliciosa contra ele e eu quero que se faça justiça “.

“É difícil de perseguir soluções legais em Timor-Leste porque o Procurador-Geral está altamente politizado e actua com parcialidade , disse Lu’Olo”.
“Dr. Alkatiri iniciou anteriormente uma acção legal em Dili contra o sr. Fernando Araújo Lasama, Presidente do partido democrático, na altura partido de oposição ao governo liderado pelo Dr. Mari Alkatiri. Apesar de vários pedidos, o Procurador Geral da República recusou-se a processar a queixa levantada pelo Dr. Mari Alkatiri queixa essa que se referia a uma ofensa criminal no âmbito do Código Criminal de Timor-Leste.”.

“Esta falha, quer por negligência, quer por recusa em actuar, demonstra que o Procurador Geral da República actua com motivações politicas tal como tem acontecido noutras ocasiões ”.

Para mais informações, contacte com José Reis, tel. +670 7340382 ou José Manuel Fernandes, tel.7342174

Komunikadu Imprensa: ALKATIRI SEI HALAO PROSESU HASORU DIFAMASAUN

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE

FRETILIN
__________________________________________________________________________

KOMUNIKADU IMPRENSA

Dili, 4 Juñu 2008

ALKATIRI SEI HALAO PROSESU HASORU DIFAMASAUN

Ohin FRETILIN haksolok tamba Tribunal Distrital Amérika nian deside husik no taka asaun legal ne’ebé kompañia minarai Oceanic Exploration foti hasoru kompañia amerika nian ne’ebé manan direitu ba esplorasaun minarai iha Tasi Timor. Oceanic alega katak kompañia ne’e manan kontratu tamba sira fó osan súbar ba politiku no ukun nain sira Timor-Leste nian.

Iha alegasaun ida ne’ebé la iha sentidu, Oceanic Exploration alega mo’os katak eis-Primeiru Ministru no Sekretáriu Jeral FRETILIN, Dr. Mari Alkatiri simu dolar amerikanu tokon rua (US$2.000.000) hodi asina no dudu Tratadu Tasi Timor bele lao ba oin.

Dr. Alkatiri hatete ohin katak nia sei halo tuir asaun legal ne’ebé nia foti tiha ona hasoru politiku sira no media ne’ebé uza lia bosok hosi Oceanic Exploration, durante tinan tolu nia laran, hodi buka halo foer nia naran atu sira bele hetan vantajen polítika.

Prezidente FRETILIN, Francisco Guterres Lu’Olo hateten nia haré katak media lokal no estranjeira sira ne’ebé hori uluk tatoli bei’beik lia bosok hasoru Alkatiri, oras nee nonok hotu kona ba desizaun ne’ebé tribunal distrital Amérika foti tia ona semana nen liubá.

Oceanic hamutuk hó nia subsidiaria sira (hó naran hanesan “Petrotimor” foti asaun hasoru kompañia amerikana Conoco Phillips, nebee oras nee kaer kampu minarai boot liu iha Tasi Timor, dehan katak uluk kompañia Phillips Petroleum (nebee ikus mai fila án bá Conoco Phillips) hetan contrato tamba deit halo korupsaun, foo osan hosi kotuk. Sira alega katak Phillips Petroleum (prekursor ba Conoco Phillips) mak hetan kontratu tamba halo subornu – halo korupsaun ho osan fó hosi kotuk..

Iha loron 16 Abril 2008, juíz Lynn N. Hughes hosi Tribunal Distrital Amerikanu, iha Houston, Texas, taka ona asaun legal ne’ebé Oceanic Exploration no Petrotimor foti hasoru Conoco Phillips, Autoridade Nomeada Tasi Timr (TSDA) no seluk ta’an, iha Marsu 2004. Oceanic husu selu sira dolar amerikanu biliaun 30 (US$ 30.000.000.000) .

Fou’foun kedas Dr. Alkatiri nega makás alegasaun sira ne’e no foti prosesu legal hasoru figura polítika sira ne’ebé halo difamasaun públika bei’beik hodi halo foer nia naran.

Lu’Olo hatete ohin nia sempre fiar katak ema halo alegasaun sira ne’e ho motivasaun polítika no katak tribunal sei hamo’os Dr. Alkatiri nia naran.

Lu’Olo hatete: “ Tamba tribunal taka kazu ne’e , desizaun ida ne’e bolu mo’os atensaun ba polítiku sira hanesan daudaun Prezidente Parlamentu, Fernando Araújo Lasama, ne’ebé halo difamasaun ba Dr. Alkatiri . Sira uza alegasaun sira nee arbiru deit hodi eziji Dr. Alkatiri tuun hosi fatin núdar Primeiru-Ministru. Fernando Araújo Lasama no sira seluk tenke husu ona deskulpa ba Dr. Alkatiri no nia família”.

“ Politika hafoer Dr. Alkatiri no nia familia nia naran hahú ho alegasaun sira ne’e ho objetivu atu obriga nia tuun hosi nia kargu Primeiru-Ministru nian”.

“Dr. Alkatiri nega makás alegasaun ne’ebé ema halo arbiru deit hasoru nia, maibé, embaixador estranjeiru balu mo’os repete duni alegasaun sira ne’e hodi tenta hafoer, iha tempu nebaa Primeiru-Ministru, nia naran no reputasaun. Hau hakarak nia atu hetan justisa. Ema ne’ebé halo kamapaña a’at hasoru nia, tenke hamo’os nia naran.”

Lu’Olo hatete katak súsar uituan iha Timor-Leste atu foti no halao solusaun legal tamba haré bá ninia hahalok, hatudu momós katak Prokurador Jeral ida nee polítiku liu.

“Dr Alkatiri hatama tiha ona keixa ida ba Prokurador Jeral iha Dili hasoru Sr. Fernando de Araújo Lasama, núdar Prezidente Partidu Demokrátiku, partidu opozisaun durante tempu governasaun FRETILIN nian ne’ebé Dr. Alkatiri mak sei kaer hela. Biarbá husu dala barak ona, Prokurador Jeral lakoi halao kazu Dr. Alkatiri aprezenta ne’ebé tuir Kódigu Kriminal Timor-Leste, difamasaun ne’e konsidera núdar ofensa kriminal, ”

“Falha ka neglijensia ka rekuza hosi Prokurador Jeral nee hanesan hó motivasaun polítika, hanesan duni hahalok ninian barbarak ona”.

Kontaktu: José Teixeira +670 723 7080, Nilvia Guimarães +670 734 0389

1

Media Release: FRETILIN opposes Decree Law creating Economic Stabilization Fund

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE

FRETILIN

Media Release

June 2, 2008

FRETILIN opposes luxury vehicles for MPs

FRETILIN has criticised a proposal by Timor Leste’s ruling coalition to give each of the impoverished country’s 65 members of parliament a new luxury Toyota Prado 4WD vehicle, costing USD$39,000 each.

“This arrogant and selfish move by the AMP coalition is a scandal when most Timorese live on a dollar a day and many lack basic necessities such as adequate food, water and electricity,” said FRETILIN parliamentary leader Aniceto Longuinhos Guterres on behalf of all FRETILIN MPs.

The proposal to buy the vehicles was put forward last week by the AMP President of Parliament, Fernando Araujo Lasama, and Vice-President of the Parliament Vicente Guterres.

Aniceto Guterres said acquisition of the 65 vehicles was not provided for in the current budget, meaning funds would have to be diverted from other spending programs. He said parliament had already approved a smaller budget to buy fewer and cheaper vehicles, to allow parliamentary committees to work more effectively.

“However, AMP MPs have insisted that parliamentarians be given one luxury vehicle each, to be fully maintained by the State, claiming that it is a question of maintaining the ‘dignity’ and ‘importance’ of MPs. We reject that totally,” added Guterres.

“During the last parliament there were fewer vehicles available for MPs to undertake committee work, yet the committees did more work more effectively than they do now.

“MPs already receive US$10 per day as transport assistance. That is sufficient compensation for us to undertake our work as MPs.”

Guterres said Fernanda Borges, leader of the National Unity Party (known by its Portuguese acronym PUN), has also rejected the Toyota Prado largesse proposal.

“In contrast, many AMP MPs have complained about the delay in acquiring and delivering the luxury vehicles, declaring that, if they are not forthcoming, then they will not attend parliament, including when the AMP de facto government brings the proposed Budget to parliament early next month.

“We encourage those AMP MPs to act on their threat, because we believe the foreshadowed budget is irresponsibly and unnecessarily large.

“We will seek the support of all MPs, including certain disenchanted AMP MPs, to work with us to make the Budget more responsible and directed at effectively providing sustainable development for our people and nation, instead of lurks and perks for politicians.”

Guterres said there had been rumors that a ‘development partner’ of Timor-Leste has proposed topping up the budget’s vehicle allocation to pay for the Toyota Prados.

“FRETILIN calls on donor countries not to engage in such inappropriate, irresponsible and insensitive support. Luxury vehicles for MPs are not poverty eradication - pure and simple,” Guterres concluded.

Contact: Jose Teixeira +670 728 7080, +61 438 114 960; Nilva Guimaraes +670 734 0389

Petrotimor v. ConocoPhillips lawsuit dismissed by United States District Court

Petrotimor v. ConocoPhillips lawsuit dismissed by United States District Court

By Charles Scheiner, La'o Hamutuk
2 June 2008

On 16 April 2008, Judge Lynn N. Hughes of the U.S. District Court in Houston, Texas dismissed the 30-billion-dollar lawsuit brought by Petrotimor and its parent company Oceanic Exploration against ConocoPhillips, the Timor Sea Designated Authority (TSDA) and others in March 2004. Although the Timorese and international media repeatedly reported on Petrotimor's sensational charges (including alleged ConocoPhillips bribing of Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri) over the last four years, the final judgment rejecting the lawsuit has not been reported anywhere in the six weeks since it occurred.

For more information and links to Judge Hughes's ruling and other key documents, see www.laohamutuk.org/Oil/Oceanic/OcexConocoLawsuit.htm .

Legal Process

In the U.S., any individual, group or company can file a civil case against anyone else without providing evidence or proof before the case is heard. Often, such cases are privately negotiated away in an out of court settlement, with the defendant (the person being sued) paying the plaintiff (the person bringing the suit) to drop the case. That did not happen in this case.

A lawsuit like this goes through several phases before the alleged wrongdoing is evaluated:

1. After determining that correct procedures have been followed and the court has jurisdiction, the judge decides if each of the defendants' wrongful actions would have caused harm to the plaintiffs, assuming that the facts are as the plaintiff claims. In this case, the judge ruled that some defendants, including the TSDA, could not be responsible even if everything the plaintiff charged was true, but allowed the case to proceed against ConocoPhillips.

2. Then, still assuming everything the plaintiff charges is true, the judge evaluates whether the harm that the plaintiff claimed was done to them was caused by the defendants' alleged actions, and whether that harm would not have occurred if the defendants had not acted improperly. This case was dismissed because the judge found Oceanic's claim of harm implausible, and did not believe that Oceanic would have secured rights to develop Timor Sea oil even if the defendants had not done what Oceanic claimed.

3. If the judge had found that Oceanic's rights were injured by ConocoPhillips' alleged actions, the court would then have heard witnesses and evaluated evidence to determine if ConocoPhillips had actually done the misdeeds claimed by Oceanic. However, this case was dismissed before that became necessary.

4. Finally, if the court had found that wrongdoing by the defendant had injured the plaintiffs, it would have ordered the defendant to pay the plaintiff.

Chronology

In 2004, the U.S. company Oceanic Exploration and its Petrotimor subsidiary filed a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against ConocoPhillips, the Timor Sea Designated Authority (TSDA), Pertamina and others. The civil lawsuit initially alleged that ConocoPhillips benefited illegally from the Indonesian occupation of Timor-Leste, and that ConocoPhillips (then known as Phillips Petroleum) bribed Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri and other Fretilin officials to continue contracts it had signed with the Australian-Indonesian Timor Gap Joint Authority during the illegal Indonesian occupation, rather than have a new bidding process in 2002 or revoke Indonesian-era contracts in favor of Portuguese-era ones. Oceanic claimed that in 1974 Portugal awarded it an exclusive exploration contract for the entire Joint Petroleum Development Area (JPDA), and that ConocoPhillips' illegal activities deprived Oceanic of its legal right to exploit Timor Sea Oil. Although Oceanic alleged that Timorese officials took bribes, it did not name any Timorese as defendants in the lawsuit

The case was filed in U.S. Federal District Court in Washington, DC and assigned to Judge Emmet G. Sullivan. Oceanic demanded US$10.5 billion in damages, multiplied by three because they claimed that racketeering and corruption deprived them of their rights. Their allegations got a lot of media coverage, and were immediately denied by the Prime Minister and others.

A year later, Judge Sullivan rejected Oceanic's initial complaint, and Oceanic filed a revised version on 1 March 2005, dropping some allegations and adding others.

In September 2006, the judge dismissed the case against the TSDA and subsidiaries of ConocoPhillips, but allowed it to proceed against the parent ConocoPhillips company. ConocoPhillips responded to the substantive allegations the following month, and asked that the case be transferred to Houston, Texas.

In February 2007, Judge Sullivan agreed to move the case to Texas, where it continued before judge Lynn N. Hughes. Some hearings and filings took place over the next four months.

Dismissal

On 16 April 2008, Judge Hughes dismissed the entire case, issuing a final judgment on 22 April. About the bribery allegations, he wrote

Oceanic’s asserts abstract operative facts – bribery, hostility, causation, and damage. It supports the abstractions with over 50 pages of trivia. The details are not cogent; we are left with a metaphysical leap from this list of gossip and debris of ConocoPhillips’ working in the region to Oceanic’s particular interpretation of why it lost in Timor. For instance, Oceanic pleads that the president of ConocoPhillips flew to East Timor to hand an official a suitcase of cash. Implausibility aside, Oceanic simply can not link this fact with its injury. That is, it can not possibly have an idea why the president of an international corporation would personally deliver cash in a briefcase to an official of East Timor. It has assumptions – nothing more.

Judge Hughes concluded:

Oceanic speculates that absent the bribery:
* East Timor would have chosen to abrogate the concessions.
* Australia would have acquiesced.
* East Timor would have reopened bidding.
* Oceanic would have been permitted to bid.
* Oceanic would have won the bid.
* Oceanic would have profitably developed the concession.
To recover, Oceanic must show what would have happened absent the bribe to a high degree of probability. It can not. Assuming ConocoPhillips bribed officials of East Timor not to reopen bidding, the decision was made not by any one official but by an entity representing all of East Timor. This court will not imagine the decision-making process of East Timor, Australia, Indonesia, Oceanic, and dozens of oil companies.
In Oceanic’s long complaint – twice amended, not counting its practice run in the Australian courts – it has not pleaded facts that, if true, show its injury is connected to the acts it describes. If ConocoPhillips acted corruptly in East Timor, Oceanic was injured in common with oil companies, consumers, and the rule of law everywhere.
Assuming its facts – as opposed to assumptions and contentions, legal theories, and demands – to be true, Oceanic Exploration Company’s pleadings do not show that the wrongful acts of ConocoPhillips and ConocoPhillips Company proximately caused the harm it claims.
Oceanic may well have been the victim of international politics in 1974 when it lost its Portugese concession to the Indonesian invasion. It cannot recover for its losses to political risk 30 years ago – not from Indonesia, not from ConocoPhillips.
Oceanic Exploration Company and Petrotimor Companhia de Petroleos, S.A.R.L. will take nothing from ConocoPhillips and ConocoPhillips Company.

Oceanic appealed the decision to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on 15 May 2008.

Although this case, including Oceanic's detailed allegations, has been on the public record for more than four years, no prosecuting authority anywhere brought criminal charges against anyone named by Oceanic's allegations. Most likely, prosecutors in the United States, Australia and elsewhere did not find the allegations of bribery, racketeering and corruption credible enough to bring alleged perpetrators to trial.

***********************************************************
La'o Hamutuk (The Timor-Leste Institute for Development Monitoring and Analysis)
P.O. Box 340, Dili, Timor-Leste (East Timor)
Telephone: +670-3325013 or +670-734-0965 mobile
email: cscheiner@igc.org website: http://www.laohamutuk.org skype: cscheiner

Media Release: Timor-Leste faces new institutional crisis

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE

FRETILIN

Media Release

31 May 2008

Timor-Leste faces new institutional crisis

Early this week, on May 27, the Social Democratic Association of Timor, with five MPs, withdrew from the Parliamentary majority coalition, AMP, providing a trigger for President Jose Ramos Horta to dissolve the Gusmão government and ask another party to try to form a workable majority.

José Reis, Assistant Secretary General of Timor-Leste's largest party, FRETILIN, said today that Timor-Leste has entered a new institutional crisis, which must be resolved quickly if the country is to regain stability and security.

ASDT entered a political alliance with FRETILIN on May 1 and signed a joint program on May 8, citing incompetence and corruption on the part of the AMP de facto government.

FRETILIN has 21 MPs, its ally KOTA/PPT has two MPs, and Fernanda Borges' PUN has three. The combined vote of CNRT, PD (Democratic Party), PSD (Social Democratic Party) and Undertim (comprising of some veteran fighters) is 34, still a majority in a parliament of 65.

However, PSD, with six MPs, is also now highly critical of CNRT.

“If the AMP, to which the President of the Republic gave his confidence to form government, has fallen, it means that Mr Gusmao’s party, CNRT, will have to seek to form a new alliance and form a new government,” Reis said.

“It really does depend on the President as to whether he continues to give confidence to Mr Gusmao to continue as head of government or give someone else the opportunity,” Reis added.

“In August 2007 President Ramos-Horta invited Mr Gusmão as leader of the AMP to form government, because he was able to cobble together a post-election coalition made up of disparate political groups and parties, many bought off by positions in the government. Mr Gusmao managed to find only a narrow majority in the parliament.

“We always believed the AMP would not last, and in less than a year we can see that its slim majority has now been eroded by the withdrawal of ASDT. That’s why we pushed for the creation of a government of grand inclusion, with a prime minister chosen with the consensus of all parties, but with government posts being selected in proportion to parliamentary seats held.

“Now we have a very unstable and undesirable situation, which must change if Timor-Leste is to get back on track.

“ASDT has traditionally been a very united and disciplined political force. We expect them to continue to behave accordingly and respect Mr Xavier do Amaral, their party President, the man who was a founder of the first ASDT and who proclaimed National Independence in 1975,” said Reis.

Reis stressed that the ASDT move to quit the AMP demonstrates that the AMP leadership does not value the historic role of parties that led the struggle for Timor-Leste's independence from Indonesia.

“ASDT have made it clear that they have been ignored. ASDT also have made it clear that they have not been happy with the policy direction of the AMP de facto government. They clearly say there has been no benefit to the people from the large budgets that have been approved by the parliament and yet no one seems to know where the money has gone.”

Contact: Jose Teixeira  +670 728 7080, +61 438 114 960; Nilva Guimaraes +670 734 0389

 

The ASDT statement of May 27 reads in full as follows:

DECLARATION OF POLITICAL POSITION

ASDT PARTY

No.06/V/P.ASDT/2008

Given the current situation and the political stance of the AMP government that at this time no longer benefits the people of Timor-Leste, and least of all members and supporters of the ASDT Party.

Given also that the ASDT Party has put forward to the AMP government a proposal as follows:

1. Persons to substitute the Minister and Secretary of State (Mr Gil Alves and Mr Abilio Lima),
2. Persons who should be nominated to posts such as ambassador,
3. Persons who should be nominated Interim Administrators in Districts and Sub-Districts where the ASDT Party won majorities in the parliamentary election.

To date no response has been received from the Prime Minister to the proposals made.

The political dynamics as a result of the impact of the economic crisis, such as the constantly rising price of everyday basic necessities have made the Maubere people unhappy and lose confidence in the AMP government.

The situation caused by the fact that the people are not seeing anything concrete from the large amounts of money that we have all heard was approved by the National Parliament for the General Budget of the State in order to help with the development of our people, and we all ask, where has it all gone? The ASDT Party sees the current very difficult living conditions of the people, and the National Executive Council (CNE) therefore states the following:

1. It declares to the people that they can no longer blame the ASDT Party, because as they can see for themselves the ASDT Party's representatives no longer participate in the AMP Government;
2. It declares to the people that starting today, the 27th of May 2008, whenever the AMP Government does anything that negatively affects the people, they should ask the CNRT, PD and PSD Parties directly because the ASDT Party is no longer responsible and no longer participates in the decisions taken by the AMP government, as the AMP Government has shown no consideration for the views expressed by the ASDT Party.

Dili this 27th day of the month of May in the year 2008.

The National Executive Council of the ASDT Party:

Francisco Xavier do Amaral

President of ASDT Party

Francisco Gomes

Secretary General