Is this the first "failure"​ in the first year?

By Raimundos Oki

The eighth government led by prime minister Taur Matan Ruak will celebrates one year of his government on June 22nd this year. The president of the Popular Liberation Party (Partido Libertasaun Popular) was installed by the president of the republic Francisco Guterres Lú - Olo on June 22, 2018 at the Palacio Nobre Lahane, Dili, Timor - Leste.

According to the 2015 Census, about 51.24% of the population is under the age of 20. This means that, in the next 5 to 10 years, hundreds of thousands of young people will enter the labor market, with the legitimate aspiration of creating their own way of life in a dignified way, in a just economy that values their work.

With this in mind, the private sector, regardless of its vocation and dimension, is and will continue to be one of the main drivers of the national economy, guaranteeing the creation of employment and, as such, constituting one of the major factors to combat poverty and improve the social capital of nation.

The government of the Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak came up with a high- ambitious program to build Timor-Leste into a country with economic income and will open around 300,000 jobs in five years, and 60,000 in one year. But for almost a year, his government has not been able to realize its promise to open 60,000 new jobs. These programs and promises have no real results, even no shadow is available.

“We have the great ambition of keeping the unemployment rate in a single digit, with the creation of 300,000 new jobs (an average of 60,000 a year); to reduce poverty by 10%; and to ensure economic growth above 7%, sustained by the progressive increase of the private sector by a minimum of 10% per year,” he promised when presented his program in the national parliament on July 24, 2018.

“But we know that the viability of these macroeconomic objectives depends on our ability to implement the great options of the plan and the rigorous execution of the budget, with rigor, effectiveness and efficiency, promoting the saving of means or resources and avoiding the expense or superfluous expenses”.

This is the political promise of the Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak, who almost failed to realize it.

Politics and promises are inseparable; they are likened to "husband and wife" which cannot be separated. There is no politics without promises in this planet. Politics without promises are like coffee without sugar or coffee without milk. How do you taste coffee without sugar? Tasteless.

The community needs real work from a leader, talking directly to acting or if you can shut up and work. For example, the promise to construct roads, bridges, create job opportunities, and so on. This has become a demand of the community, which must be fulfilled by politicians while serving as leaders or while elected to be a leader. That is, the realization is clear and hits the hearts of the people.

So far, there have been many comments about the Matan Ruak government with the incompleteness of several ministers in his government, and the answers he told the public that he would discuss with the president to immediately resolve or provide solutions to cabinet members who were still rejected by the president until now.

Calculated from his term of office since June 2018 to the present, he has almost met 48 times with President Lú - Olo, but the results have not yet been made about several cabinet members who have not received inauguration. With the incompleteness of some of these cabinets, the result is not having the chance to realize his promise to open 60,000 jobs every year.

Not fulfilling political promises is pleading to the public. Lies begin with improper promises. This is a promise that is not qualified. The leader who give promises to people are like hot air balloons, attract the attention of many people, beautiful, and the sound of the wind that brings it into the air is very pleasant to hear but is temporary only because soon it will break and disappear.

This means that the politician that give promises to the people just only to calm their nerves, after that they will go to take care of their self and families. Forgetting a promise for the welfare of society as the womb that gave birth to them. Promises of lies look thick. Part of the promise is hidden in the political campaign. The campaign is an advertisement that shows the picture of the leaders. Their expression were persuasive but harming the people, there were victims of fraud and intellectuals were plunged into the rhetoric of the leaders who always buried the truth.

With the incompleteness of some of these cabinets, the result is not having the chance to realize his promise to open 60,000 new field jobs every year.

Former president of the republic, José Ramos Horta questioning the government plan to absorbed unemployment rate in the country.

“I do not know, why they make this promise 60.000 jobs a year, difficult to create,” he said.

Moreover, the president of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Timor – Leste, Oscar Lima said, the economic situation in the country seems very slow and getting worsen because of political deadlock almost two years.

Lima added, the government alone cannot create 60,000 new field jobs per year, how the private companies can do it?

“It is very difficult to recruit new workers, except to reduce workers because the economy is not working well,” he said.

Now, all East Timorese is waiting for this eighth government to realize its promise to open 60,000 new field jobs every year.

Today, the country of 1.3 million people still faces extreme poverty. Leaders including Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, who was East Timor’s first president from 2002 to 2007 and prime minister from 2007 to 2015, have focused on big-ticket infrastructure projects to develop the economy, funding them from a dwindling amount of oil riches.

A version of this article appears in Tempo Timor Online on June 29, 2019 with the headline: Is the first failure in the first year?

https://tempotimor.com/en/615-is-the-first-failure-in-the-first-year

Timor Gap’s $US 15.9bn China loan “incorrect”

By Raimundos Oki

DILI – The CEO of Timor GAP has rejected a widely – circulated report that Timor – Leste is about to borrow money from China to build the Tasi Mane Project.

Last Tuesday, the national daily The Australian Newspaper reported the Timor Gap was set to borrow $US 15.9bn from China’s state – owned Exim bank under a commercial loan, sparking alarm from some overseas observers over whether that would allowed a Chinese military presence just 500km from Darwin.  

The Timor-Leste government recently took majority ownership of the project after buying out its former partners – ConocoPhillips and Shell – with the aim of ensuring the gas is piped to its shores instead of Australia’s.

The Timor Gap CEO, Francisco da Costa Monteiro, said it is talking to China, but is also canvasing investors and financial institutions in the US, Australia and other countries about financing the Tasi Mane Project.

He said, The Australian news story specifically referred to Timor Gap being about to sign a $US10 to $US12 billion in loans from Exim Bank and has rejected an offer of US pension fund. 

“That statement is incorrect, that statement is in accurate because it is not right. We are indeed have a need to search finance for Tasi Mane Projects including the Greater Sunrise Development, particularly the Downstream and we have been approaching many investors, many financial institutions including from China and other countries such as US and Australia,” he said to the Tempo Timor in Timor Plaza, last Thursday. 

Although Timor Gap has negotiated with several investors in several countries, according to Monteiro that until now he has not wanted to mention which countries are willing to lend to Timor-Leste.

“This is a commercial sensitive matters, until all the financial discussion, negotiation and I don’t think to prefer to revealed it now. I think this stage what we can say is that what is now we working towards and developing the project, the Greater Sunrise. We approach many banks to borrow the money”.

He stated that Timor Gap had no special preference to borrow money from anywhere, whether from China or from any country that was not problematic.

“Whoever it’s doesn’t matter. It’s from China or US, Australia, Europe or Indonesia it’s doesn’t matter as long as they willing to loan us the money in a competitive terms of condition”.

On last Tuesday the Australian reported Timor Gap was set to borrow $15.9bn from China’s state-owned Exim bank under a commercial loan, sparking alarm from some observers over whether that would allow a Chinese military presence just 500km from Darwin.

The CEO Timor Gap, Francisco da Costa Monteiro told Tempo Timor it is talking to China, but is also canvassing investors and financial institutions in the US, Australia and other countries about financing the Tasi Mane project.

A version of this article appears in Tempo Timor Online on July 3, 2019 with the headline: Timor Gap’s $US 15.9bn China loan “incorrect”.

https://tempotimor.com/en/619-timor-gap-s-15-9bn-china-loan-incorrect?fbclid=IwAR2UbUr33WpDFUt1nRNDj5j1VADb7mTcBAllm2NGdJ9mDD4jJpi7tXAvi5Y#.XRv1NVL0rHl.facebook

Younes M’Jahed of Morocco elected new IFJ president

Younes M’Jahed

Brussels, - Today 254 IFJ delegates convening in Tunis for their World Congress elected Younes M’Jahed of Morocco as their new President.  

Younes M'Jahed is a journalist at Ittihad Ichtirak. He  first joined the IFJ Executive Committee as an advisor at its Recife Congress in 1998. He was further elected as vice president in IFJ congress in Moscow in 2007, and then as senior vice -president at IFJ Congress in Dublin in June 2013 and subsequently re-elected in Angers in 2016 .

He also serves as General Secretary of the Syndicat national de la presse marocaine (SNPM ) and was recently elected as President of the National Press Council in Morocco.

 .Younes M’Jahed is taking over from outgoing Belgian President, Philippe Leruth, who headed the IFJ from 2016 to 2019.

M’Jahed said: “I will work on consolidating trade unionism and trade unions ‘action, diversify our cooperation and continue what we initiated 6 years ago: encourage our own bodies as well as regional groups to be more active to enhance democracy in our own bodies.”

IFJ delegates elected Peruvian Zuliana Lainez as Senior Vice president, Indian Sabina Inderjit and Russian Timur Shafir as Vice Presidents and British Jim Boumelha as Honorary Treasurer.

https://www.ifj.org/media-centre/news/detail/category/press-releases/article/younes-mjahed-of-morocco-elected-new-ifj-president.html 

Albert Camus no Pena de Morte

Pena de morte iha mundu ne’e sei nakonu ho pro no kontra. Albert Camus iha nia obra naruk ida ho titlu Relfection on the Guillotine kontra maka’as pena de morte. Tuir Camus katak, pena ne’e la fó justisa, no mós laiha efeitu saida de’it ba krime. Nia nu’udar asaun brutalidade ida. Pena de morte fó satisfasaun iha oras balun de’it, laiha efeitu no la hapara tipu krime ne’e atu labele akontese tan. Iha nia argumentu ne’e, Camus temi nasaun laiha direitu hodi habadak no halakon ema seluk nia moris. Ba sira ne’ebé pro, pena de morte ne’e konsidera nu’udar pena ne’ebé di’ak hodi fó justisa no prevene krime ne’e labele akontese tan.

“We must serve justice because our condition is unjust, increase happiness and joy because this universe is unhappy. Likewise, we must not condemn others to death because we have been given the death sentence” (qtd. in Bronner 150).

Kuaje nasaun hamutuk 102 iha mundu mak hamoos total ona pratika pena de morte ba krime sira ne’ebé konsidera todan. Krime sira hanesan, homesidu massa, distribui ai – moruk droga, espionajen, krime kontra umanidade jenosida, no homesidu planeadu sei nafatin hetan kondenasaun mate iha nasaun balun hanesan iha Chile no Brazil.

Iha Indonézia, ejekusaun mate sei rekoñese nu’udar alternativa pena de morte, maibé se kompara ho nasaun sira seluk, total prijoneiru ne’ebé mate tanba punisaun ne’e sei menus tebes.

Dadus Amnesty International tinan 2014 katak ema hamutuk nain 1.634 mak hetan ejekusaun mate iha nasaun 25 iha mundu.

Stalin uluk dehan ona katak, ema ida nia mate nu’udar trajedia, no ema rihun ida mak mate ne’e nu’udar estatistika.

Iha mandatu prezidente Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono konsege halo ejekusaun mate ba kondenadu hamutuk nain 14. Kazu droga hamutuk 7, no kazu terorizmu hamutuk 3. No iha era prezidente Jokowi sira ne’ebé hetan ejekusaun mate maioria involve iha kazu ai – moruk droga.

Dadus hosi Amnesty International Indonesia katak, kuaje ema hamutuk nain 47 mak simu ona desijaun pena de morte hosi tribunal Indonézia durante periodu tinan 2017.

Sai nu’udar distribuidor ai – moruk droga iha Indonézia konsidera nu’udar krime boot ida ne’ebé hetan ameasa pena de morte. Funu kontra droga (war on drug) nu’udar krime ida ne’ebé sai konsentrasaun governasaun prezidente Joko Widodo. Durante tinan rua nia laran de’it, rejista kondenadu nain 14 mak simu ona pena ejekusaun mate ba kazu droga. Diferente ho mandatu governasaun prezidene Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Durante tinan 10 nia governasaun, nia hamate de’it kondenadu nain 24, maibé maioria la’ós tanba ai – moruk droga.

Mandatu prezidente “Jokowi”Widodo konsege hala’o ona ejekusaun mate ba dala tolu nian. Dahuluk hala’o ba kondenadu nain 6 iha loron 18 Janeiro 2015. Kondenadu nain 8 seluk hala’o iha loron 29 Abril 2015.
Kazal Timoroan ne’ebé konsege susesu lori ai – moruk droga hamutuk fuan 4.874 tama ba teritoriu Indonézia iha loron 29 Maiu liuba hatudu momoos katak kapasidade servisu alfandega Timor – Leste iha postu integradu Batugade sei hanesan “asu hatenu” hela.

Hafoin kazu ne’e akontese, ulun boot Autoridade Aduaneira ka Alfándega, José António Fátima Abílio halo promesa iha loron 1 Juñu liuba katak, hala’o ona prosesu investigasaun ba kazu ne’e, maibé infelizmente to’o oras ne’e rezultadu investigasaun seidauk klaru. Lahatene makina X-Ray ne’ebé monta iha postu integradu ne’e mak la funsiona ka pessoal balun mak involve iha laran hodi kazal Timoroan ne’e konsege susesu lori ai – moruk droga tama ba teritoriu Indonézia.

“Ida ne’e mak ita hakarak buka tuir tanba ita mós lakohi para ita-nia nasaun ema dehan sai fali hanesan tránzitu ba droga ou merkadoria ba kontrabandu sira ne’e. Ita haree took lakuna iha ne’ebé? Será que ita-nia ekipamentu mak seidauk, ita-nia rekursu mak presiza hadi’a tantu nia koñesimentu tékniku, skill, buat sira ne’e hotu”.

Iha rejiaun ASEAN, Indonézia nu’udar fatin ejekusaun mate barak liu. Relatoriu Amnesty International ne’ebé sita hosi Coalition for the Abolition of Death Penalty in ASEAN (CADPA), número ne’e to’o kazu 19. Tuir fali Vietnam mak segundu lugar ho kazu 14, no ikus liu mak Malazia ho kazu tolu.

Número ejekusaun mate iha ASEAN sai atensaun ba mundu. Liliu, tanba desijaun ne’ebé foti hosi lider nasaun iha rejiaun ne’e, hanesan prezidene Jokowi, Prezidente Filipina, Rodrigo Duterte. Entretantu, bazeia ba dadus CDPA, kuaje nasaun hotu iha ASEAN sei uja hela lei ejekusaun mate. Ejekusaun mate ne’e la’ós fó impaktu de’it ba ida ne’ebé hetan kondenasaun ne’e, maibé impkatu mós ba familia sira.

Lala’ok ejekusaun mate ba kondenadu sira oioin depende ba nasaun ne’ebé sira hela ba. Hahu hosi soke ho ahi eletrisidade iha nasaun balun iha Estadus Unidus Amerika, tara iha Iraun no China, no sona mate ho ai – moruk iha Amerika, no tiru mate iha Indonézia.

Iha Indonézia metodu ejekusaun mate liuhosi tiru ba kondenadu nia fuan. Sira ne’ebé sei hetan ejekusaun mate bele hili tur ka hamrik. Ida ne’e nu’udar previlejiu ikus ne’ebé sira iha. Taka metin kondenadu sira nia matan ho hena. Iha ema nain 12 mak sei tiru. Nain 3 ho munisaun tebes, no nain 9 ho munisaun mamuk. Distansia tiru entre metru lima to’o sanolu hosi kondenadu sira. Depois tiru mak balun sei moris, sei iha tan tiru ba dala ikus nian iha sira nia ulun. Autoridade sira informa ona ba kondenadu sira kona – bá sira nia mate loron tolu antes molok halo ejekusaun mate.

Komandante Jeral Polisia Nasionál Timor – Leste, Komisariu Faustinho da Silva hatete ona katak, difisil atu julga Timoroan nain rua ne’e iha Timor – Leste, tanba entre Timor – Leste ho Indonézia durante ne’e seidauk iha akordu extradisaun, maibé hosi parte governu, Ministru Reforma Lejislativu no Assuntu Parlamentar (MRLAP), Fidelis Leite Magalhães promete ba deputadu sira iha Parlamentu Nasionál foin lalais katak governu sei halo esforsu atu akompaña Timoroan nain rua ne’e hodi hetan justisa ne’ebé justu.

Atu salva kazal Timoroan ne’e hosi ejekusaun mate, Ministériu Negósiu Estranjeiru no Kooperasaun (MNEK) Timor – Leste mak tenke hamrik iha liña oin kona – bá diplomasia internasional atu oinsá bele proteze nia sidadun sira ne’ebé hetan kazu iha rai liur. Kazu ne’e sai nu’udar teste ida ba kapasidade MNEK, Dionisio Babo Soares hodi halo diplomasia ho Indonézia.

Indonézia durante ne’e hetan kritika maka’as hosi komunidade internasional kona – bá ezekusaun pena de morte ba arguidu kazu droga lubuk ida iha tinan hirak ba kotuk. Maske hetan kritika no kondenasaun maka’as hosi komunidade internasional, governu Indonézia fó sinal sei la hapara ezekusaun pena de morte tuir mai.

Durante ne’e mós opiniaun iha sosiedade Indonézia nia le’et nakfahe entre suporta no kontra ezekusaun mate. Parte sira ne’ebé suporta argumenta “soberanea judisiariu Indonézia”, no sira ne’ebé kontra kestiona kondenasaun ne’ebé justu hosi oklu direitu umanu. Ha’u rasik komprende arependimenu sosiedade mundial ba kondenasaun pena de morte. Maibé, Indonézia nu’udar Estado ida, iha nia soberanu ida, inklui soberanea iha área judisiariu. 

The g7+ is on the way to UN permanent observer

We have known several big and rich countries that have gathered together in various groups such as the G7, G8 and G20. There is also group conflict affected countries that formed g7+. The g7+ was established by 7 countries including Timor-Leste, a small and poor country that is located in Southeast Asia. Today, the group has grown to 20 member States and has its headquarter in Dili, Timor-Leste and has branch office in Lisbon - Portugal.

Some of g7+ member countries continue to experience conflict due to various factors. Even though, most of these countries are rich in natural resources, but they continue to live in poverty.

Over the years, big and rich countries have provided support to g7+ countries, however, conflict prolong which has finally led to a hunger crisis and humanitarian crisis in the world. The fate and voice of these countries are hardly heard at the UN General Assembly in every year. International bodies engaged in refugees, health and food programme, as well as international financial institutions such as the World Bank and International Finance Corporation have been passive in bringing the voice of fragile and conflict affected countries at the global stage. Their assistance has been focusing on development projects not targeting resolving the source of conflict.

Based on this reason, the g7+ is trying to find a way to advocate for changing in the way of how normally aid was delivered to the fragile and conflict affected countries. Therefore, the g7+ is currently seeking for permanent observer seat at the UN headquarters so that it can represent and express the aspirations of g7+ countries at the UN level.

Under leadership of General Secretary, Dr. Helder da Costa, the g7+ is currently on the process to register the g7+ in the UN to get the status of a UN permanent observer. During the seminar that was conducted by the Faculty of Economics and Management of UNTL on last March 18, Dr. da Costa said that "We will register the g7+ to the UN to become a permanent observer".

He further said during the period of 2006 to 2010, there was no any single country in the world that address the issue of peace, hunger and poverty, which affected the fragile and conflict affected countries in the world. Thus, g7+ appears to bring the aspirations of these countries

What is a Permanent Observer?

The position of being permanent observer is opened for all Non-Member State of the UN including any of the specialized agencies. As an intergovernmental organization that brings together 20 conflict affected countries with mission to promote peacebuilding and statebuilding and has its own Charter, the g7+ fulfills the criteria to be the permanent observer at the UN. The benefit of becoming permanent observer is that the organization has access to most of meetings and reports at the UN assembly. The position as observer can be upgraded later in the future as UN to members according practices in the past.

According to the UN Website that, there are 21 out of 72 intergovernmental organizations who has maintained their permanent offices at the UN Headquarters.

Timor-Leste's Membership in International Organizations

Timor-Leste's foreign policy places high priority on its relationships with neighbouring countries including with Indonesia, Australia, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) and member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Timor-Leste began its two-years presidency of the CPLP in 2014 by prioritizing economic integration between member states as well as joint exploration and production of oil and gas. One of Timor-Leste priorities in foreign policy is to join ASEAN and the country has applied for ASEAN membership in 2011 waiting for decision from ASEAN secretariat.

The work of Timor-Leste in the g7+ group is to complement Timor-Leste's foreign policy of becoming global mediator and peacemaker by 2030 and to increase the participation of this small country in the global stage according to, Dr. Felix Piedade the Technical Specialist at the g7+ Secretariat in Dili, Timor-Leste. (Raimundos Oki)