DILI (TOP) - The extraordinary congress of the Timor-Leste Football Federation (FFTL) which took place on Saturday, October 26, 2024 did not run in a democratic environment in front of the delegates from FIFA and AFC because there was direct intervention from the military led by the Chief of the F-FDTL, the Lieutenant General Falur Rate Laek.
The Chief of the Defence Forces (Portuguese: Chefe Estado Maior General Forças Armadas) is the head of the Timor Leste Defence Force. They are responsible for the administration and the operational control of the Timor-Leste’s military. The current chief is Falur Rate Laek, succeeding Lere Anan Timur.
Chief of the F-FDTL, the Lieutenant General Falur Rate Laek is acting president of the Timor-Leste Football Federation (FFTL).
According to a report from the online media Hatutan.com that the extraordinary congress that held at the Novo Turismo Hotel this time was filled with members of the Timor-Leste National Police and also the Timor-Leste Defense Force (F-FDTL) which is described not as a congress for football structures but a congress for police and military structures.
The environment of this extraordinary congress should have run fairly and democratically but the Interim President of FFTL Domingos Raul “Falur Rate Laek” used his authority as Lieutenant General of F-FDTL to violate and rape the independent organ of FFTL by giving orders to the Military Police to expel the President or Chairman of the Dili Leste Football Association Aleixo Cobra from this extraordinary congress because he did not want to or did not allow Cobra to give a speech during the congress.
When the congress began, starting from the Roll Call of the Dili Leste Football Association, Ermera Football Association, Manatuto, Covalima were not present because they were late, with that the Secretary General of FFTL Gregorio Correia who led the extraordinary congress table directly continued with the agenda to hold an extraordinary congress in accordance with the FFTL statutes to ratify the congress agenda with welcoming remarks from Falur Rate Laek before continuing to the Coffee Break.
After Coffee Break, there were four football associations that were not present at the Roll Call to enter the conference room as delegates at this extraordinary congress and the Chairman of the Dili Leste Football Association Aleixo Cobra asked for permission to convey his opinion or to convey some suggestions but was immediately blocked by the Interim President of FFTL Falur Rate Laek by asking Cobra to be quiet but Cobra still raised his hand to convey his opinion but was still blocked by Falur Rate Laek with the threat that you be quiet or I will order the military members to throw you out of this congress room. With this incident, Falur Rate Laek immediately gave orders to the Military Police to arrest and forcefully push Cobra out of the congress room and has not attended this congress until it is finished.
As the Military Police pushed Cobra out he shouted loudly that don't use military dictatorship at the FFTL congress because this congress is about football not military.
After the military police expelled the Chairman of the Dili Leste Football Association, the Chairman of the Ermera Football Association, Manatuto and Covalima also chose not to attend this extraordinary congress because at the time to hold the election on the Appointment Agenda for three delegates to verify the official certificate and the Appointment of Scrutineers three people to verify their election there were no cards.
FFTL Secretary General Gregorio Correia stated that the three football associations no longer had the right to receive a card to participate in the election because they were absent or late at the Roll Call session.
“They were not eligible to participate in the election because they did not have a card and also because they were late for the Roll Call,” Correia explained.
After this incident, the Chairman of the Dili Leste Football Association, Aleixo Cobra, immediately held a press conference that the military police had forced him out of the congress room and had also folded both of his hands until they were sprained.
"This extraordinary congress is illegal, full of manipulation and they have invented many things," Cobra accused.
Meanwhile, FFTL Interim President Falur Rate Laek stated that his presence at this extraordinary congress as Interim President and there is a commitment to settle and implement the rules with that when anyone who violates must be expelled and removed.
"I am here to fix and settle, anyone who violates must accept the consequences," Falur emphasized.
Timor-Leste has been known to have the highest democracy index achievement in all of ASEAN, but the situation that occurred at the extraordinary FFTL congress is very embarrassing for Timor-Leste's image in the international community with the pure intervention of the military into the Timor-Leste football federation.
The Timor-Leste Football Association requested an investigation
Members of the Timor-Leste Football Federation from the Ermera, Manatuto, Manufahi, Covalima, Dili Leste, Dili Oeste Football Associations and the winner of Liga II DIT FC requested that FIFA, AFC and the Timor-Leste government immediately form a special team to conduct an investigation and verify the legality of the extraordinary FFTL congress which according to the football associations was full of interests and manipulation.
"We complain to FIFA, AFC and the Timor-Leste government to immediately investigate the extraordinary congress of the FFTL because we consider the executives are not neutral and have been full of manipulation. Therefore we ask FIFA, AFC and the Timor-Leste government to investigate the structure of the FFTL regarding the falsification of documents of footballers from the national team including the legality of this extraordinary congress," Timor-Leste football association spokesman Aniceto Berlelo said.
Berlelo added that, after the extraordinary congress held on January 10 2024, the FFTL leaders did not hold a meeting about the future of football in the FFTL, with this extraordinary congress taking place was illegal and there was manipulation.
