FRETILIN requests President Ramos-Horta to initiate investigation

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE

FRETILIN

Media Release

10 August 2008

FRETILIN requests President Ramos-Horta to initiate investigation into unintended publication of rectifying budget

The President of Timor-Leste’s largest and historic party FRETILIN, Francisco Guterres “Lu Olo”, today called upon President Dr José Ramos-Horta to order an investigation into why the Revised Budget Law (also known as the rectifying budget) was sent by his office to the parliament, and then subsequently published in the official gazette, thereby bringing it into law, against the President’s declared intentions.

A Public Communiqué issued from the President's Office on the 6th of August 2008, when the President was already overseas stated, that prior to his departure the President delivered a speech to the nation, in which he informed the nation that he would await the decision of the Court of Appeal regarding a request for a ruling as to the constitutionality of the rectifying budget, before making a decision on whether or not to promulgate it.

The Communiqué added that: “The President of the Republic left very clear instructions to his office to send the rectifying budget for publication only if the decision of the Court of Appeal declared that the law was in conformity with all the requirements of the constitution.”

Lu Olo said, “The President’s own words, televised to the nation on the 5th of August 2008, and confirmed by the President’s Office Communiqué on the 6th of August, the following day, were that he left clear instructions that the rectifying budget was not to be sent for publication with the official gazette.

“It was clear that this is what he had in mind when he spoke to the people. We do not believe for one moment the President would have spoken those words whilst intending to do the exact opposite. Despite this manifest intent, others in his office took actions contrary to his clear instructions and sent it on for official publication.”

According to Lu Olo this is a very serious situation for FRETILIN, for the nation’s democratic institutions and the Timorese people. He added that FRETILIN did not blame the President, because it believed he left clear and explicit instructions with his office before leaving on his overseas trip.

“However, we do not have confidence in others who work in the Office of the President of the Republic. We have grave reservations about their loyalty to the President and their political impartiality to be working in such a high office,” Lu Olo said.

“We are very lucky that these suspect actions are such that may be fixed with the good will and cooperation of other institutions of our state. But we have to ask, what if it involved something more serious, something that could not be so easily reversed or rectified, such as a declaration of stage of siege or a declaration to dissolve parliament? Then what? The President had done all he could to ensure his intent was clear and that his actions would not impact negatively upon the nation, but even this could not safeguard a serious error from occurring.

“We cannot simply leave this matter as it is. It is important for us that state institutions know the truth of what actually happened. We have to know clearly whether this was the result of human error or whether there was some more deliberate act or omission to pervert the expressed will and intent of the President, to usurp his duties and powers. An in-depth investigation must occur into this matter and FRETILIN give its full support to the President in initiating an appropriate legal investigation,” Lu Olo added.

Lu Olo also emphasized that “this was not just a matter of an administrative issue in the President’s Office, but a matter of great importance to the government, the parliament, political parties and the people, who need to have confidence that the highest office in the land is functioning legally and constitutionally, not to mention with administrative efficiency, whoever the President is or will be.”

For more info, contact Jose Teixeira: +61 438 114 960 (Australia), +670 728 7080 (Dili, Timor-Leste)

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komunikadu imprensa: FRETILIN husu Presidenti Republika ordena investigasaun Gabineti Presidensia Republika nian kona ba falansu promulgasaun Orsamentu Retifikativu

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE
FRETILIN

10 Agostu 2008
Komunikadu imprensa

FRETILIN husu Presidenti Republika ordena investigasaun Gabineti
Presidensia Republika nian kona ba falansu promulgasaun Orsamentu
Retifikativu

FRETILIN husu ohin ba Prezidenti Republika Dr. Jose-Ramos Horta halao
investigasaun klean ida ba insidenti neebe mosu iha semana liu ba iha
Gabeneti Presidensia Republika nian bainhira Xefe Gabineti haruka Lei
Orsamentu Retifikativu ba Parlamentu Nasional, no depois resulta iha
publikasaun maske kontra Prezidenti Republika nia intensaun klaru,
deklara Prezidenti partidu FRETILIN nian, Francisco Guterres "LuOlo"
iha Dili ohin.

Tuir Komunikadu neebe sai husi Prezidensia Republika iha loron 6
Agostu 2008: "Molok nia sai ba liur, nia halo deklarasaun ba nasaun,
tuir neebe nia dehan katak nia sei hein to'o desiziaun husi Tribunal
Rekursu kona ba rekursu ida neebe tama kona ba konstitusionalidade Lei
Orsamentu Retifikativu, molok nia halo desizaun ikus liu atu pormulga
ka lae lei ida nee."

Prezidenti aumenta mos ida nee iha deklarasaun neebe temik katak:
"Prezidenti Republika husik hela orientasaun klaru ba nia gabineti atu
labele haruka lei ba publikasaun molok desizaun sai husi Tribunal
Rekursu katak lei cumpri ho normas konstituisaun nian tomak."

"Maske Prezidenti nia liafuan, neebe fo sai iha deklarasaun iha
televisaun, no konfirmado tuir mai iha komunikadu ofisial iha loron 6
Agostu, Prezidenti deklara katak nia fo 'orientasaun klaru' atu nia
gabineti labele haruka lei nee ba publikasaun. Nia hatudu mos nia
intensaun bainhira nia koalian ba Povo tomak iha Televisaun. Ami la
fiar nia bele koalian buat ida loron ida, no halo buat seluk fali.
Maibe tuir mai, ita hotu hare katak ema seluk halo fali kontra nia
hakarak, ema ruma iha nia gabineti haruka fali lei nee ba publikasaun.
Nee assuntu ida neebe seriu ba nasaun, seriu ba orgaun soberania
seluk hotu, no Povo Timor-Leste tomak. Ami la foo sala ida ba
Prezidenti, tamba ami fiar nia liafuan. Maibe ami duvida makas ba ema
seluk neebe servisu iha nia gabineti. Ami duvida sira nia intensaun
plitika no imparsialidade atu halau servisu iha gabineti aas liu
hanesan nee," dehan LuOlo.

"Sorte hahalok sala nee buat ida neebe bele hadiak hela ho vontade
diak husi orgaun soberania hotu. Maibe hau husu deit, sei envolve
karik buat seluk neebe labele hadiak fasil hanesan nee? Hanesan
deklarasaun estadu de sitiu ka disolusaun parlamentu por ezemplu?
Entaun oin sa? Sorte ida nee laos deklarasaun funu ida neebe
consekuensia todan liu ba nasaun. Prezidenti halo buat hotu hotu
neebe nia bele atu labele iha impaktu negative ba ita nia rain no
Povo, maibe iha falansu seriu fali tamba hahalok iha nia gabineti
laran."

"Ita abele husik deit hanesa nee. Ita presiza buka hetan lialos. Ita
presiza hatene momos sei ida nee falansu humanu duni ka buat seluk,
hanesan manipulasaun ruma ba Prezidenti nia hakarak, nia dever. Tamba
nee presiza investigasaun klean. FRETILIN apoia Prezidenti republika
total atu halau investigasaun ida neebe seriu no transparent, tanba
kredibilidade gabineti Presidenti republika nian aban bairua iha
duvida hela iha ema barak nia Hanoin sei ita la hetan lialos," LuOlo
taka.

Favor ida, kontaktu: Jose Reis +670 734 1505 (Dili)

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE

FRETILIN

Media release
10 August 2008

FRETILIN requests President Ramos-Horta to initiate investigation into
unintended publication of rectifying budget

The President of Timor-Leste's largest and historic party FRETILIN,
Francisco Guterres "Lu Olo" today called upon President Dr. José
Ramos-Horta to order an investigation into why the Revised Budget Law
(also known as the rectifying budget) was sent by his office to the
parliament, and then subsequently published in the official gazette,
thereby bringing it into law, against the President's declared
intentions.

A Public Communiqué issued from the President's Office on the 6th of
August 2008, when the President was already overseas stated, that
prior to his departure the President delivered a speech to the nation,
in which he informed the nation that he would await the decision of
the Court of Appeal regarding a request for a ruling as to the
constitutionality of the rectifying budget, before making a decision
on whether or not to promulgate it.

The Communiqué added that: "The President of the Republic left very
clear instructions to his office to send the rectifying budget for
publication only if the decision of the Court of Appeal declared that
the law was in conformity with all the requirements of the
constitution."

Lu Olo said, "The President's own words, televised to the nation on
the 5th of August 2008, and confirmed by the President's Office
Communiqué on the 6th of August, the following day, were that he left
clear instructions that the rectifying budget was not to be sent for
publication with the official gazette.

"It was clear that this is what he had in mind when he spoke to the
people. We do not believe for one moment the President would have
spoken those words whilst intending to do the exact opposite. Despite
this manifest intent, others in his office took actions contrary to
his clear instructions and sent it on for official publication.

According to Lu Olo this is a very serious situation for FRETILIN, for
the nation's democratic institutions and the Timorese people. He added
that FRETILIN did not blame the President, because it believed he left
clear and explicit instructions with his office before leaving on his
overseas trip.

"However, we do not have confidence in others who work in the Office
of the President of the Republic. We have grave reservations about
their loyalty to the President and their political impartiality to be
working in such a high office," Lu Olo said.

"We are very lucky that these suspect actions are such that may be
fixed with the good will and cooperation of other institutions of our
state. But we have to ask, what if it involved something more
serious, something that could not be so easily reversed or rectified,
such as a declaration of stage of siege or a declaration to dissolve
parliament? Then what? The President had done all he could to ensure
his intent was clear and that his actions would not impact negatively
upon the nation, but even this could not safeguard a serious error
from occurring."

"We cannot simply leave this matter as it is. It is important for us
that state institutions know the truth of what actually happened. We
have to know clearly whether this was the result of human error or
whether there was some more deliberate act or omission to pervert the
expressed will and intent of the President, to usurp his duties and
powers. An in depth investigation must occur into this matter and
FRETILIN give its full support to the President in initiating an
appropriate legal investigation," Lu Olo added.

Lu Olo also emphasized that "this was not just a matter of an
administrative issue in the President's Office, but a matter of great
importance to the government, the parliament, political parties and
the people who need to have confidence that the highest office in the
land is functioning legally and constitutionally, not to mention with
administrative efficiency, whoever the President is or will be."

For more information, please contact Jose Teixeira: +61 438 114 960
(Australia), +670 728 7080 (Dili, Timor-Leste)