Xanana Gusmão succeeded in forming a new coalition to form a new government

Six political parties form a new coalition to form a new coalition government.   

By Raimundos Oki
Dili, Timor-Leste - One of the largest party in Timor-Leste, the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) party led by Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, has succeeded in forming a new coalition to form a new government after the coalition government broke up at the end of 2019.

While the Revolutionary Front for an Independent Timor-Leste (FRETILIN) party and the Popular Liberation Party (PLP) are rumored to be in opposition in the Ninth Government.

Six political parties consisting of the CNRT party, Democratic Party, KHUNTO party, UDT, PUDD and Frenti-Mudansa have signed a coalition deed to form the Ninth government in the CNRT party office, today.

"We will stop the political impasse and we have signed the deed. We believe that these 34 seats will guarantee the stability of the new government, "CNRT party president Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão through a press conference at the CNRT party office, Bairro Grilos, Dili Saturday, February 22, 2020.

The signing process was represented by the president and secretary of each party and was also attended by 1996 peace nobel laureate Jose Ramos Horta who is currently the strongest candidate to become the prime minister for the ninth government.

Gusmão added that if this political impasse is left alone, it will bring great destruction to the country's economy, making small communities vulnerable.

The FRETILIN party consists of 23 seats and PLP with 8 seats. So the opposition coalition between the FRETILIN party and the PLP will get 31 seats in the national parliament.

Although these political parties have formed coalitions for a new government but now the final decision is in the hands of the president of the republic that will approve this solution or will announce a second fresh election. According to the plan the President of the Republic will take the final decision at the beginning of March this year.

Previously, on February 10, 2020 President of the Republic Francisco Guterres Lu Olo stated that fresh election as the final resource so he asked political parties who had seats in the national parliament to conduct political movements to be able to provide a good solution to this political impasse.

"With that, today we have formed a new coalition to provide solutions to the actual situation through forming a new government".

The program plan offered by the new coalition that will continue the eighth government program based on the 2030 strategic plan for national development. Give full attention to people in rural areas to improve their lives, guarantee national stability as a determinant factor for national development, continue the process negotiating land and sea boundaries with Indonesia to get a fair solution to the delineation of the border between Timor-Leste and Indonesia and others.

The eighth coalition government called the Majority Alliance Change to Progress (AMP), led by Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak, has been divided apart because the State budget for 2020 has been blocked by the opposition and government parties in January 17, 2020.

The results of the 2020 budget vote which was debated for three days from 15 to 17 January 2020 finally did not qualify because only get 13 valid votes, 15 votes contra and 25 abstentions. The 13 contra MPs indicated that the CNRT party wanted divorce from AMP.

Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak said the situation in the National Parliament had shown State management in difficult situation.

The 2020 state budget proposal which was not ratified in the national Parliament amounts to $ Billion 1,668.

However, Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak said that now he is waiting for all decisions from the President of the Republic on the current situation.
"Now we are waiting for the President of the Republic," PM Taur told reporters at the
national parliament building.

According to him, the decision to announce another election or call political parties to form a new government depends on the decision of the President of the Republic.