LAUTEM (TOP) – Around 16 presidential candidates have carried out their campaigns on the first day running smoothly and safely.
Among the 16 presidential candidates include former president of the republic and 1996 Nobel Peace Prize winner José Ramos-Horta who listed strong support from the CNRT party led by Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão.
In his speech at the opening campaign in the municipality of Lautem Horta promised that if he wins a majority in this election he will fulfill the agreement of the CNRT party to dissolve the national parliament and immediately announce a parliamentarian election with the aim of correcting the constitution which President of the Republic Francisco Guterres Lú Olo allegedly violated during his mandate.
"I will dissolve parliament if we win by majority and announce a parliamentarian election," Horta said in his speech in Lautem, Tuesday, March 02, 2022.
According to Horta, President Lú Olo who is also one of the presidential candidates in this election has violated the RDTL constitution three times.
“The first offense was that he did not inaugurate cabinet members from the CNRT party and the KHUNTO party in 2018,” he explained.
Horta added that, in a semi-presidential system, the members of the cabinet are appointed by a prime minister, not from the president of the republic.
Horta, who for more than 20 years as the permanent representative of FALINTIL commanders at the UN headquarters, also denied the allegation from Partidu Libertasaun Popular (PLP) that he would create a new crisis.
“This crisis has existed since 2017 until now there has been no solution. I will not create a new crisis but will provide a solution to resolve this crisis”.
According to him, the only solution to resolve this crisis is through the dissolution of parliament and announcing legislative elections with a majority in the presidential election which will take place on Saturday, March 19, 2022.
According to a survey from the National University of Timor-Lorosa'e showing that during February this year around 4,100 voters from all over the territory of Timor-Leste voted for José Ramos-Horta with 39.05% of the vote, second in line is the former commander of the Timor-Leste’s Defense Forces (F-FDTL), Lere Anan Timur, with 22.01%, third in Francisco Guterres Lú Olo.
President of the Republic Francisco Guterres Lú Olo has refused to swear in 11 Cabinet ministers because of corruption investigations in a rocky beginning for a new government formed after a protracted political stalemate in the young nation.
Former President and independence fighter Jose Maria Vasconcelos, commonly known as Taur Matan Ruak, was sworn in as prime minister on Friday after a three-party alliance won a majority of parliament seats in a May 25 election.
President Francisco Guterres Lu Olo said eight nominated ministers, including for finance and defense, and three vice-ministers can’t be sworn in because the public prosecutor’s office is investigating corruption cases against them. Some also have previous corruption convictions, he said.
Independence hero Xanana Gusmao, who led the biggest party in the winning alliance, did not attend the swearing-in ceremony in protest at the president’s decision to block 11 of the nominees for the 43-member Cabinet.
Meanwhile, the presidential candidate Francisco Guterres Lú Olo, who is also the president of the FRETILIN party, has conducted his opening campaign in Oe-Kusi Ambeno by shouting that he will uphold the constitution and respect the separation of powers.
And the Democratic presidential candidate Mariano Asanami Sabino has been running his campaign in Aileu.
