Foto FM
Fundasaun Mahein (FM), 16 Agustu 2017
Komunikadu Imprensa
Rezultadu Eleisaun Parlamentar 22 Jullu 2017 hatudu ona partidu polítiku lima maka Frente Revolucionario de Timor-Leste Independente (FRETILIN), Congreso Nacional de Reconstrução de Timor (CNRT), Partidu Libertasaun Popular (PLP), Partido Democratico (PD) no Kmanek Haburas Unidade Nacional Timor Oan (KHUNTO) hakat liu bareira 4% ka asentu iha Parlamentu Nasional Timor-oan nian. Iha tempu badak membru Parlamentu Nasional foun neen-nolu-resin-lima simu pose hodi hala’o sira nia kna’ar hanesan reprezentante sidadaun Timor hotu-hotu no kaer poder lejislativu no poder ba fiskalizasaun no desizaun polítika ba lejislatura dahaat nian.
Ho Parlamentu Nasional foun ne’ebé mai daudauk ne’e, Fundasaun Mahein (FM) fiar katak sosiedade sivil sei sai parseiru importante no konstrutivu, no iha oportunidade hodi loke dalan partisipa iha debate sira asuntu nasional no públiku hodi kontribui ba dezenvolvimentu, estabilidade, fortifika akuntabilidade no boa governasaun.
Nune’e Parlamentu Nasional sai duni fatin produtivu ho opozisaun ida konstrutivu ba debate nasional sira, iha asuntu sira polítika, lejislasaun no desizaun sira ba interese povu nian. Liu-liu asuntu espesifiku sira hanesan seguransa, defeza no negosiu estranjeiru. Inklui asuntu sira iha rejiaun, Comunidade dos Paises da Lingua Portugues (CPLP), Associations of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), parseiru estratéjiku sira no viziñu sira nomos ameasa krime transnasional sira ne’ebé daudaun ne’e sai preokupasaun iha rejiaun no ba Timor-Leste rasik.
Hodi promove debate konstrutivu no produtivu ida ne’ebé ho partisipasaun públiku nian, Parlamentu Nasional tenke sai matadalan no komprimenta ba Konstituisaun no lei sira. Timor-Leste nia lingua ofisial maka Tetun no Portugues. Nune’e dokumentu hotu-hotu polítika no esbosu lejislasaun sira presiza produs iha lingua Tetun ka la’os iha lingua Portugues deit. Tamba Timor-oan barak liu maka ko’alia Tetun no oituan deit husi ida ne’e maka ko’alia Portugues. Iha tempu hanesan membru sira Parlamentu Nasional barak mos lahatene lingua Portugues. Ida ne’e susar tebes hodi halo diskusaun ba esbosu lei ruma bainhira debate iha Parlamentu Nasional. Ironiku liu tan, asesor internasional sira sai dominante hakerek esbosu lei sira no la involve Timor-oan iha prosesu hakerek lei. Ne’e kria ona dependensia ba asesor internasional sira. Tamba ne’e presiza promove Timor-oan sira no involve iha servisu sira nune’e ho lingua Tetun.
Parlamentu Nasional labele sai hanesan fatin hodi hetan pozisaun, hetan kondisaun ne’ebé diak no riku, no halo korupsaun. Exemplu, Lei Anti Korupsaun ne’ebé lolos sai prioridade maibé halulik tiha iha meja Parlamentu Nasional nian. Enkuantu Lei Pensaun Vitalisia no sosa kareta ba membru Parlamentu Nasional foun sira aprova lalais tiha hodi benefisia deit ba grupu kiik oan ida. Nune’e mos lelaun ba kareta tuan sira ne’ebé deputadu/a sira uza, Parlamentu Nasional uza nia kompetensia halo lelaun ba sira nia-an rasik, ne’e korupsaun legal. Signifika katak Parlamentu Nasional la’os ona uma fukun povu nian maibé fatin hodi hetan poder no goja privelejiu sira hanesan salariu, regalias sira hanesan Prado Luxu. Ne’e hatudu deputadu/a sira la iha ona moral ba povu ne’ebé sira reprezenta.
Parlamentu Nasional labele sai hanesan fatin ne’ebé promove ka haburas kultura impunidade no labele utiliza imunidade ne’ebé iha hodi sees-an husi justisa. Tamba kazu krime sira hanesan korupsaun ne’ebé involve membru Parlamentu Nasional no Governu. Parlamentu Nasional la koopera ho instituisaun judisiariu sira nia desizaun hodi autoriza membru sira husi Parlamentu Nasional no Governu ne’ebé komete krime ba hatan iha Tribunal. Ida ne’e tenke hapara no labele kontinua iha Parlamentu Nasional foun ne’ebé sei mai no labele sai obstaklu ba orgaun soberania seluk nia servisu.
Parlamentu Nasional tenke halo lolos sira nia kna’ar hanesan orgaun lejislador, fiskalizador no halo desizaun polítika. La’os sai fali portavoz ba Governu no hanesan “reporter”. Maibé portavoz ba lia los no povu nia interese. Nune’e mos iha tinan hirak ikus ne’e, la iha opozisaun ida ne’ebé ativu no debate sira iha Parlamentu Nasional hahu taka ba públiku. Sosiedade sivil la sai hanesan parseiru ida ne’ebé bele fo sira nia opiniaun ba asuntu sira nasional no ignora tiha sosiedade sivil nia lian. Ironiku liu tan kritika no opiniaun konstrutivu sira mai husi sosiedade sivil konsidera hanesan “ajente exterior”.
Tamba ne’e tinan lima mai ne’e opozisaun iha Parlamentu Nasional sei hala’o nia kna’ar ida importante ho apoiu husi parseiru sosiedade sira hodi defende interese sira ne’ebé favorese ba povu. Nune’e mos parseiru sosiedade sivil sira kontinua hetan oportunidade partisipa iha debate sira nune’e iha Parlamentu Nasional.
Rekomendasaun
1. Presiza iha opozisaun ida ne’ebé konstrutivu no produtivu ba debate sira asuntu nasional ka interese povu nian tuir kna’ar Parlamentu Nasional nian hanesan orgaun lejislador, fiskalizador no halo disizaun polítika.
2. Asuntu nasional no públiku, tenke iha opurtuidade ba públiku hodi partisipa no fo sira nia opiniaun. Sosiedade sivil hanesan parseiru importante ida iha debate konstrutivu ba asuntu sira nasional no interese povu nian.
3. Parlamentu Nasional tenke respeita no koopera ho autoridade judisiariu sira nia desizaun. Labele utiliza imunidade ne’ebé membru Parlamentu Nasional no Governu iha hodi sees husi justisa no tenke halakon kultura impunidade ida ne’e.
Atu hetan informasaun kle’an liu kona-bá asuntu ne’e bele kontaktu:
Nélson Belo
Diretor Ezekutivu
Email: direktor.mahein@gmail.com
Telemovel: (+670) 78316075 ka 77561184
Website: www.fundasaunmahein.org
Congratulations to the New National Parliament – Constructive and Productive Opposition Supported by Civil Society
Fundasaun Mahein (FM), August 16th2017
Press Release
In the Parliamentary Election on July 22nd 2017, five political parties crossed the 4% threshold required to gain seats: the Revolutionary Front of Independent Timor-Leste – FRETILIN, the National Congress for the Reconstruction of Timor – CNRT, the Popular Liberation Party – PLP, the Democratic Party – PD, and the Kmanek Haburas Unidade Nacional Timor Oan – KHUNTO. Soon, the 65 new national members of parliament (MPs) will be inducted as representatives of the Timorese people, assuming their responsibilities for Timor-Leste’s fourth legislature.
Under the new parliament, Fundasaun Mahein (FM) believes that civil society organizations will become vital and constructive partners. FM believes they should have the chance to participate in debates about national policy in order to contribute to development, stability, accountability, and good governance.
Consequently, the national parliament should become productive. The opposition must contribute actively to debates about policy, legislation, and decision-making in the people’s interest. Debate should focus on security, defense and foreign affairs issues, including the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Languages Countries), ASEAN (Associations of South East Asian Nations), strategic partnerships, and transnational crime.
To promote constructive and productive debates with public participation, the national parliament should obey the constitution and laws. Since Timor-Leste’s official languages are Tetun and Portuguese, all political documents and drafts of legislation must be produced in Tetun as well in Portuguese. The majority of Timorese people speak Tetun and only a few people speak Portuguese. Furthermore, even some MPs do not know Portuguese, meaning that it is hard to discuss proposed laws written in Portuguese during debates in the national parliament. Ironically, international advisers currently wield huge influence in writing laws, excluding Timorese people and creating dependence on Portuguese-speaking foreigners. Therefore, the national parliament should use Tetun in order to involve the Timorese people in the legislative process.
Furthermore, many MPs act as if the national parliament is a place to elevate one’s status and accumulate wealth. For example, Parliament has refused to discuss the proposed Anti-Corruption Law, which should be a priority. Instead, it speedily approved the new pension law and the purchase of vehicles for new MPs in order to benefit a small group. The national parliament is therefore using its power to look after the MPs’ private interests. This is legalized corruption, and it indicates that the national parliament is not a place that represents the people but a place for powerful individuals to enjoy privileges such as large salaries and cars. This means that the MPs do not have the moral standing to represent the people.
The national parliament should not become a place that promotes a culture of impunity. It should not shield MPs or government officials from justice when they are accused of crimes such as corruption. The national parliament frequently refuses to cooperate with the judiciary’s decision to have government officials face trial when they have committed crimes. This pattern should stop in this new national parliament, which should not interfere with the duties of other government institutions.
The national parliament should better fulfill its task as a legislative organ, oversight body, and political decision-maker. It should not act as the government’s spokesperson, but as a spokesperson for truth and the people’s interest. In the last few years, there was no active opposition during debates at the national parliament. This political homogeny meant that civil society did not become a partner that could provide ideas regarding national issues. Instead, the government tended to ignore the voice of civil society. Indeed, critics of the government and constructive civil society organizations were painted as ‘foreign agents’.
Therefore, for the next five years the opposition at the national parliament, with support from civil society, will play an important role in defending the people’s interests. Civil society organizations should get a chance to participate in debates at the national parliament.
Recommendations
1. Timor-Leste needs a constructive and productive opposition to debate national issues and defend the people’s interests, in accordance with MPs’ roles as legislators, overseers, and political decision-makers.
2. The public must be able to participate in debates about public issues. Civil society is also an important partner in constructive debates about policy.
3. The national parliament should respect and cooperate with the judiciary authorities’ decisions. It should not shield MPs and government officials from justice. Impunity must disappear.
For more details on this issue, please contact:
Nélson Belo
Executive Director of FM
Phone: +670 78316075 or 7756 1184
Email: direktor.mahein@gmail.com
Website: www.fundasaunmahein.org
