Sunday 15 July 2012

Xanana Prefers CNRT be the Opposition, or to Govern with a strong Opposition.

BREAKING NEWS

Today CNRT is holding  a national Conference held in the Dili Convention Center from 10am-5pm.
Xanana Gusmao
At this conference the President of CNRT Xanana Gusmao has stated indicated that a grand coalition with FRETILIN is not his desired option for the formation of the next Government of Timor-Leste.  But he seeks party consensus.

CNRT was second most voted party in 2007 and is now the first most voted party. Xanana congratulated his followers.   He told party members “that we are very successful during the last five years. Even though we did not win 50 plus 1 % to run the government alone we did win 30 seats.”

Xanana offered three options to the CNRT conference to discuss and decide the best option.  But Xanana indicated that it is his intention to have a strong opposition in the Parliament, which he also indicated that in his first option for the participants to think if CNRT wants to go to opposition. 

Xanana told his party member to choose to have a coalition with FRETILIN or PD and Frente Mudanca.

If the coalition of CNRT and FRETILIN is chosen it will have 55 seats in parliament and leaving PD and Frente Mudanca to opposition with ten seats. Xanana appealed to CNRT party members to discuss the impact of this coalition to the country’s democracy.

The second option is the coalition of CNRT, PD and Frente Mudanda which will have 40 seats in the Parliament. Xanana asked the participants to discuss on the performance of the five years experience of governing together with these parties considering the positive and negative aspects closely.

The CNRT conference participants are from all 13 districts. Eash district has 3 party senior members as representatives and 2 party members from each party of Timor-Leste’s 65 sub districts.

Xanana also appealed to the Defense force and Police to remain its neutrality not to intervene in the political matters.  “We don’t want to say to international community that we still need ISF and UNMIT to remain in the country.”

He also stated that Timor-Leste has in its interest to strengthen its democratic system as we always said “Check and balance,” is what we want and what we need.

“During the last five years our institutions played a fundamental role to keep check and balance. Whenever there is no check and balance system, totalitarianism which excessively close us to dictatorship is a danger.  Because of this we want a strong opposition, to help keep the State in check.” said Xanana.

But the party not able to gain an absolute victory to govern alone to implement those program which the party wants to implement.  IN the last 5 years CNRT has been able to defeat all the old parties including the historical and largest party, FRETILIN.

The Timor-Leste constitution said the government only ne formed by the party that wins the election. But if none win 50%  plus one the government can be formed by a coalition of parties forming a majority in Parliament.

In 2007 Fretilin was the first most voted party with 21 seats in Parliament. As the winning party FRETILIN was not able to form a majority coalition, so the President allowed CNRT as the second most voted party to form a government coalition with PD, PSD, ASDT and UNDERTIM.  Only PD remains, as PSD, ASDT and UNDERTIM were not able to win enough votes on the 7 July election to remain in Parliament.

Xanana stated that “In this 2012 election CNRT won 30 seats and FRETILIN 25, PD 8 and FRETILIN Mudanca 2. Because of this reason I have proposed several alternatives.  Firstly, we have always said if we cannot win 33 seats in Parliament lets go to Opposition. Xanana said if CNRT choose this option naturally FRETILIN and PD will form a coalition, which will have a majority in parliament with 33 seats, so they have right form the Government”.

Some analyst applauded the CNRT conference, which is televised life by TVTL. “This is a great show of democracy,” said an academic from East Timor National University which asked not to named.

No comments: