(Foto: Antonio Dasiparu/EPA)
Agora dadaun Timor-Leste iha ona periodu Eleisaun Parlamentar nian ne’ebé sei hala’o iha loron 22 Jullu 2017,depois de 20 Marsu 2017 liuba povu tomak deside Francisco Guterres “Lu-Olo” nu’udar Xefe Estadu ba nasaun ida ne’e. Iha momentu sira nune’e mobilizasaun masa iha kampaña nu’udar atividade kada tinan lima ka babain temi periudu eleisaun, nune’e apoiante sira husi kandidatu ka partidu polítiku uza viaturashalo mobilizasaun no konvoiu hale’u iha kapital ka ba fatin seluk ne’ebé atu halo no fila husi kampañia.
Atu prevene dezastre ka assidente trafiku ne’ebé maka kauza ba ema nia vida, PNTL liu-liu servisu tranzitu halo operasaun konjunta ne’ebé rigorozu ho unidade sira seluk iha sidade laran nu’udar medida preventiva ida ba asidente trafiku. Operasaun sira ne’e atu pasa-revista ba dokumentu no asesoriu viaturas sira nian,hanesan xapa matrikula, espelu, ahi-oan piska, kanu racing, no asesoriu importante sira seluk. Tuir dadus PNTL nia fo sai iha loron 05 Marsu 2017, PNTL Munisipiu Dili halo operasaun ne’ebé konsege prende motorizada hamutuk 199 tanba kanu racing, laiha sapa matrikula no la uza espelu. Total husi viaturas sira ne’ebé prende durante kampaña Eleisaun Prezidensial PNTL prende viaturas hamutuk 597, motorizada 363 no kareta 234 (Media The Dili Weekly iha loron 17 Abril 2017).
Tuir Fundasaun Mahein (FM) nia monitorizasaun iha terenu operasaun rigorozu eventual ka insidental deit, ezemplu durante kampañia Eleisaun Prezidensial 20 Marsu 2017, depois eventu refere operasaun sira ne’e para no la iha kontinuasaun. Operasaun sira nune’e, utilizador viaturas sira sei latauk viola regras no lei ka kodigu estrada nian, tamba hanesan espasu ida hodi kontinua viola ka la disiplina utiliza viaturas iha estrada públiku bainhira polísia nia prezensa iha estrada menus ka la iha. Nune’e infrasaun sira ne’ebé sempre akontese hanesan viaturas la tau xapa matrikula no labarik minoridade sira ne’ebé maka lori viaturas iha sidade laran. FM preokupa tebes kona-bá infrasaun rua ne’ebé temi liu dadauk ne’e, tamba infrasaun sira refere ninia risku boot no fo ameasa ba komunidade ne’ebé la’o iha estrada.
Labarik minoridade lori viaturas hanesan buat bain-bain tiha ona iha sidade laran liu-liu wainhira iha eventu boot sira, hanesan kampañia eleisaun prezidensial ne’ebé liu daudauk, labarik minoridade barak maka lori viatura no involve iha eventu sira ne’e. Tuir dadus PNTL ne’ebé públika husi Jornal Independente loron 03 Abril 2017, katak durante fulan Marsu 2017 polísia kaer labarik minoridade na’in 10 ne’ebé maka lori viaturas. Nune’e mos infrasaun sira husi labarik sira lori viaturas kontinua akontese iha sidade laran liu-liu iha Kapital Dili no iha eskola balu FM identifika barak liu mai husi estudante sira pre-sekundaria lori motorizada ba eskola. Preokupsaun refere hato’o mos husi Segundu Komandante PNTL Munisipiu Dili Superintendete Asistenete Polísia Euclides Belo hatete “tuir lei kodigu estrada nia katak ema ho idade menus husi tinan 17 no la iha karta kondusaun la autoriza atu lori viatura iha estrada publiku” (Jornal Independente 31/03/2017).
Portantu konduz viaturas ruma tenke hetan uluk lisensa ba kondusaun nian tuir Dekretu Lei N.o 6/2003 de 3 de Abril Codigo da Estrada artigu 120 n.o 2) 3) no 6) hatete ema ne’ebé tuir rekezitu sira hodi hetan lisensa kondusaun maka hanesan tuir mai ne’e.
2 Para obtenção de carta de condução são necessárias as seguintes idades mínimas, de acordo com a habilitação pretendida:
a) Subcategoria A1: 16 anos;
b)
Categorias A, B e B + E: 18 anos;
c) Categorias C e C + E: 21 anos;
d) Categorias D e D + E: 21 anos.
3 Para obtenção de licença de condução são necessárias as seguintes idades mínimas, de acordo com a habilitação pretendida:
a) Ciclomotores: 16 anos;
b) Motociclos de cilindrada não superior a 50 cm3: 16 anos;
c) Veículos agrícolas das categorias I e II: 16 anos;
d)
Veículos agrícolas da categoria III: 18 anos.
6 A obtenção de licença de condução por pessoa com idade inferior a 18 anos depende, ainda, de autorização escrita de quem sobre ela exerça o poder paternal.
Tradusaun la ofisial,
2 – Hodi hetan lisensa kondusaun ho idade mínimu tuir kategoria sira tuir mai ne’e:
a) Sub kategoria A1: tinan 16
b) Kategoria sira A, B no B+ E: tinan 18
c) Kategoria sira C no C + E: tinan 21
d) Kategoria sira D no D + E: tinan 21
3 – Hodi hetan lisensa kondusaun tuir idade mínimu sira iha kraik ne’e:
a) Ciclo motores: tinan 16
b) Moto ciclos ka motor ne’ebé la liu 50 cm3: tinan 16
c) Veíkulu agrikola nian kategoria I no II: tinan 16
d) Veíkulu agrikola kategoria III: tinan 18
6 – Hetan lisensa kondusaun ba ema ne’ebé ho idade mínimu tinan 18 depende ba lisensa ka autorizasaun eskrita husi poder paternal ne’ebé sira exerse ba.
Maske nune’e, iha periodu sira kampaña nian organizasaun sosiedade sivil no Comissão Nacional de Eleições (CNE) hato’o beibeik ona katak lei sira bandu kandidatu no partidu polítiku sira involve labarik minoridade iha eventu polítika maibe realidade iha terenu infrasaun sira ne’e kontinua akontese. Haree ba kazu sira temi iha leten ne’e, FM nia preokupasaun ba asuntu sira ne’ebé liga ho labarik minoridade involve iha konvoiu iha kampaña no kondus viaturas sira iha kampaña no periodu sira baibain ka la’os eleisaun ne’ebé la’o iha estrada públiku. Portantu eventu no hahalok sira nune’e sai hanesan ameasa ba labarik sira nia vida no ema seluk wainhira asidente trafiku ruma ne’ebé involve labarik sira ne’e. Mentalidade labarik sira nia,liu-liu sira ne’ebé maka idade 12-16, tuir psikolog sira hatete ho idade sira nune’e kondisaun mental no emosaun seidauk kontroladu no la preokupa ho risku ka ameasa ne’ebé bele kauza ba sira nia vida no ema seluk tamba menus konsiente kona-bá kestaun sira refere.
Xapa matrikula nu’udar númeru identidade viatura ida nia, signifika katak viatura ne’e rejistu ona legalmente iha Diresaun Nasional Transporte Terestre (DNTT), Ministériu Obras Públiku, Transporte no Komunikasaun. Nune’e wainhira iha assidente trafiku, fasil atu identifika viatura refere. Tuir Dekretu Lei N.o 6/2003 de 3 de Abril Codigo da Estrada artigu 111 no 112 hatete kona-bá obrigatoriedade ba matrikula no identifikasaun ba veíkulu. Maibe monitorizasaun FM nian identifika veíkulu sira ne’ebé la’o iha estrada públiku balu la iha xapa matrikula, ida ne’e susar atu identifika bainhira hetan asidente trafiku ka soke ema ka soke veíkulu seluk iha estrada inklui mos krime sira seluk. Portantu iha kazu balu ne’ebé akontese hafoin asidente suspeitu ba kazu ne’e halai tiha tamba lakoi atu responsabiliza ba asidenti refere.
Veíkulu sira ne’ebé FM identifika la’os deit mai husi komunidade sira nian maibe husi instituisaun sira Estadu nian hanesan seguransa no sira seluk mos. Ezemplu, kazu ne’ebé akontese iha loron 12 Maiu 2017 iha Pantai Kelapa, joven ida hetan tiru husi ema deskuiñisidu ho kareta la iha xapa matrikula no deskonfia suspeitu ba kazu refere mai husi membru PNTL balu Companha Seguransa Pesoal (CSP) nian. Tamba tuir sasin sira nia deklarasaun katak kareta ne’ebé maka uza, iha nia lolon hakerek CSP (Jornal Independente 17/05/2017). To’o agora seidauk identifika lolos suspeitu ba kazu refere no susar identifika membru ida ne’ebé maka utiliza kareta refere tamba la iha xapa matrikula.
Ida ne’e posibilidade suspeitu mai husi ema ne’ebé la’os membru polísia ka husi membru polísia rasik mos. Portantu la disiplina husi membru seguransa sira utiliza veíkulu la tau xapa matrikula. Entau kriminozu sira bele aproveita momentu sira nune’e hodi halo krime no utiliza simbolu sira husi polísia nian tau iha kareta hodi halo movimentu no krime, ikus mai duun ba membru polísia ka seguransa sira. Nune’e mos husi membru polísia sira rasik ne’ebé la disiplina utiliza veíkulu instituisaun nian posibilidade bele halo asaun sira temi iha leten ne’e ho motivu problema pesoal ka partikular seluk.
Relasiona kazu Pantai Kelapamosu preokupasaun husi membru Parlamentu Nasional Komisaun B Cesar Valente hato’o ba katak:
“Hau husu para komandu jeral labele taka ema hirak nee, i labele defende fali membru sira halo hahalok hanesan nee, karik komandu atu halo nia membru balu sai profisionalizmu tenke husik mos membru balu sai vitima ba hahalok neebe mak sira halo. Polisia sira neebe mak gosta halimar ho kilat musan ba sidadaun sira nee lahatene halo servisu, dalaruma nia ba defende fali grupu balu ou nia iha interese ba grupu balu nee mak nia halo ida nee,” katak Deputadu Cesar ba jornalista iha intervista Segunda (Jornal STL 15/05/2017).
Maske kazu ne’e rasik sei iha prosesu investigasaun nia laran,maibe iha ona públiku nia hanoin no jeneraliza katak ne’e asaun sira husi membru polísia nian. Tamba ne’e FM rekomenda veíkulu sira instituisaun seguransa no husi instituisaun Estadu nian tomak tenke komprimenta ba lei ka tenke tau xapa matrikula tuir Kodigu Estrada 2003 nia haruka. Ida ne’e hodi evita manipulasaun sira ne’ebé dalaruma ema atribui ba instituisaun seguransa nia responsabilidade tamba deit la disiplina husi membru instituisaun nian utiliza veíkulu sira instituisaun nian. Ida ne’e potensia liu iha periodu sira eleisaun nian.
Iha parte seluk,momentu eleisiaun hanesan agora dadaun ne’e ema balu bele uzapatrimoniuEstadu nianliu-liu kareta no motorizada hala’o atividade ba sira nia intrese privadu ka grupu,ezemplu, uza ba servisu partidu polítiku nian iha tempu eleisaun hanesan kampañiaka servisu privadu sira seluk.
Rekomendasaun
1. Rekomenda ba PNTL hala’o operasaun ne’ebé rigorozu no iha nia kontinuasaun, la’os deit iha periodu sira eleisaun nian deit maibe periodu sira seluk la’os eleisaun mos.
2. Rekomenda ba membru sira husi instituisaun seguransa nian no instituisaun Estadu nian tomak disiplina utiliza veíkulu sira no servi lolos deit ba interese Estadu nian.
3. Rekomenda ba PNTL ho Diresaun Nasional Seguransa Rodoviaria (DNSR) Mnistériu Interior kontinua halo sosializasaun ba públiku kona-bá regra tranzitu no utilizasaun ba veíkulu sira.
4. Rekomenda ba komunidade sira, liu-liu Inan-Aman sira kuidadu labarik sira ho minoridade labele lori veíkulu tamba risku no ameasa ba sira nia vida.
5. Rekomenda ba partidu polítiku sira no militante sira labele involve labarik sira iha konvoiu kampañia nian iha periodu sira eleisaun nian tamba ida ne’e risku ka ameasa tebes ba labarik sira nia vida.
Road Safety Operations during the Election Period
(Prevention of Accidents, Crime and Underage Driving)
Timor-Leste is currently in the campaign season for the Parliamentary Election to take place on July 22nd 2017, after Francisco Guterres Lu-Olo won the Presidential Election on March 20th. During this period, all political parties are mobilizing supporters for their campaign activities in Dili and the Districts.
To prevent traffic accidents, the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL)Transit Unit is holding a rigorous joint operation with other police unitsin Dili. The operation’s purpose is to check vehicleslicense plates,rearview mirrors, signal lights, mufflers, and other important safety features. According to PNTL data releasedon March 5, the Dili PNTL Transit Unit has confiscated 199 motorbikes for violations. All in all,the PNTL has confiscated 597 vehicles—363 motorbikes and 234 cars—during the Presidential Election period (The Dili Weekly, April 17 2017).
Fundasaun Mahein’s (FM) monitoring has found that such operations tend to be problematically inconsistent.For example,this operation was conducted during the Presidential Election in March but not continued afterwards. Such inconsistency allows vehicle users to violate road rules. Therefore, infractions such as missing license plates or underage driving occur frequently. Such infractions endanger pedestrians and other drivers by encouraging lawlessness on the roads.
During the Presidential Election campaign, many minorsdrove vehicles as part of campaign activities. According to PNTL data reported on April 13 by the Independent, during March 2017 the PNTL apprehended 10 minors driving vehicles. The frequency of underage driving continues to increase in Dili, where FM has found that many children drive daily to attend junior high school. The Independent also reported that the Dili Deputy District Commander, Assistant Superintendent Euclides Belo similarly declared that “according to the Highway Code people who are under 17 years old and do not have a driver’s license will not be allowed to drive vehicles in public areas”.
To ride or drive any vehicles, people must first obtain a driver’s license according to Law no.6/2003. The Highway Code, Article 120 identifiesthe requirements for a driver’s license as follows:
2 Para obtenção de carta de conduçãosãonecessárias as seguintesidadesmínimas, de acordo com a habilitaçãopretendida:
e) Subcategoria A1: 16 anos;
f)
Categorias A, B e B + E: 18 anos;
g) Categorias C e C + E: 21 anos;
h) Categorias D e D + E: 21 anos.
3 Para obtenção de licença de conduçãosãonecessárias as seguintesidadesmínimas, de acordo com a habilitaçãopretendida:
e) Ciclomotores: 16 anos;
f) Motociclos de cilindradanão superior a 50 cm3: 16 anos;
g) Veículosagrícolas das categorias I e II: 16 anos;
h)
Veículosagrícolas da categoria III: 18 anos.
6 A obtenção de licença de conduçãoporpessoa com idade inferior a 18 anosdepende, ainda, de autorizaçãoescrita de quemsobreelaexerça o poder paternal.
Unofficial Translation:
2. The minimum ages to be able to obtain a driver’s license vary according to the following categories:
e) Sub-category A1: 16 years old
f) Categories A, B and B+E: 18 years old
g) Categories C and C+E: 21 years old
h) Categories D and D+E: 21 years old
3.To obtain adriver’s license, the minimum ages areas follows:
e) Scooter: 16 years old
f) Motorbikes with cylinders no morethan 50cc: 16 years old
g) Vehicles for agricultural categories I and II: 16 years old
h) Vehicles for agricultures category III: 18 years old
4. Obtaining adriver’s license for persons younger than 18 years of age requires written permission from aparental figure.
During the campaign, Civil Society Organizations(CSO’s) and CNE have repeatedly declared that the law forbids candidates and political parties from involving minors in their political events but nonetheless it continues to happen. FM believes that underage driversin campaign convoys endangers their own lives and those of others, due to a lack of experience and judgement.
The license plate signifies that the vehicle is legally registered with the National Directorate of Land Transport (DNTT) after a certified inspection. License plates ensure that if a traffic accident occurs it will be easy to identify the vehicle(s) involved. According to Law No.6/2003of the Highway Code, Articles 111 and 112 require the registration and identification of vehicles. However, FM’s monitoring reveals that some vehicles on the roads lack license plates. The issue of missing license plates becomes particularly important when suspects flee the scene of the accident.
The vehicles identified by FM as lacking license plates do not only belong to private citizens but also to state institutions, including the security sector. For example, on May 12th 2017 in Pantai Kelepa, a young man was shot by unknown assailants in a car without license plates, with witnesses claiming it had Close Protection Company (CSP) markings, raising suspicions that the suspects are PNTL personnel(Independent 17/05/2017).At the time of writing, the real suspect/shave not been identified, since without license plates it is near impossible to identify who was driving the vehicle at the time and whether or not they were PNTL officers.
The lack of license plates on PNTL vehicles allows criminals to utilize police resources and mislead people into blaming their crimes on the police. At the same time, undisciplined PNTL officers can use police vehicles to commit crimes due to their private motivations, or allow others to do so.
Regarding the incident in Pantai Kelapa, Parliamentary Committee B Member Cesar Valente declared that:
“I ask the Commander not to shield undisciplined members of the police. If the commander wants policemen to be professional,he should let them suffer the consequences for their irresponsible acts. Members who do not the know the rules and use weapon against civilians, sometimes they are acting because of group or private interest” Suara Timor Lorosae 15/05/2017.
This case is now being investigated, yet the public believes that PNTL officers committed this crime. Therefore, FM recommends that all of the vehicles belonging to the state and the security forces should have license plates according to the Highway Code 2003. Doing this would prevent the misuse of PNTL and state resources and ensure that the drivers of any PNTL vehicles that are used inappropriately can be held accountable.
Additionally, there is also the concern that political actors may misuse state vehicles during the campaigning period for the Parliamentary Election.
Recommendations
1. The PNTL should hold rigorous trafficoperations, not only during election periods but routinely.
2. Members of the security and state institutions should be disciplined in using vehicles for official state purposes only.
3. The PNTL and DNTT should continue to socialize citizens on the Highway Code.
4. Citizens,particularly parents, should promote the safety of their children by forbidding minors from driving vehicles.
5. Political parties and supporters should not include children in their campaigning convoys during election periods because such actions endanger the safety and security of minors.
