Díli, June 18, 2019 (Lusa) – The Congresso Nacional da Reconstrução Timorense (CNRT), the largest party in the government coalition in Timor-Leste, lamented what it considers to be President Guterres Lu-Olo’s lack of State sense.
CNRT Criticises President’s “Lack of State Sense”
“The CNRT party laments the lack of sense of state of the Fretilin president, who is also de jure, in his role as president of Timor-Leste,” a CNRT statement sent to Lusa said.
The statement follows a meeting held on Monday by the National Political Commission and the CNRT National Policy Commission in Dili to analyse the political situation in the country.
In the text, the party also rejects what it considers to be the contradictions of the President of Timor-Leste on political inclusion, and clarifies that he does not authorise any CNRT leaders to take “any initiative for dialogue with anyone”.
The note aims to “clarify some doubts that may remain in Timorese society” after last weekend’s meeting of the leadership of the coalition government, the Alliance for Change for Progress (AMP).
Concerns Over SAREA Spending and Judicial Inertia
The government’s biggest party, led by Xanana Gusmão, also criticises what it classifies as the “inertia” of justice and judicial actors for not having acted on the alleged depletion of tens of millions of dollars of sovereign wealth through practices contrary to the well-being of the country — as documented by an audit from the Chamber of Accounts — in the Oecusse-Ambeno Special Administrative Region (SAREA).
The SAREA is chaired by Mari Alkatiri, secretary general of the Revolutionary Front of Independent East Timor (Fretilin), currently in opposition.
The CNRT argues that this position of justice contrasts with the stance taken against members of previous CNRT-led governments, who were convicted over “$10,000 in damages.” This disparity, the party says, provokes a “sense of anguish” and the perception that justice “does not act in defence of the well-being of the nation and the people,” but rather “for the interests of the parties.”
South Coast Investment Debate
The CNRT also rejects criticism from those who demand debates on investment in the south coast but do not participate in them. The party points to a meeting held in December 2018 in Dili where both the President of the Republic and Fretilin’s top leadership were absent.
About the Alliance for Change for Progress (AMP)
The Alliance for Change for Progress (AMP) won the 2018 elections with an absolute majority. The coalition is composed of:
| Party | Leader |
|---|---|
| Congresso Nacional da Reconstrução Timorense (CNRT) | Xanana Gusmão |
| National Liberation Party (PLP) | Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak |
| Khanek Haburas National Unity Timor Oan (KHUNTO) | — |