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CNRT To Focus On Rebuilding Rather Than Arming East Timor 

Dili – 15th June 2007

General Secretary and spokesperson of CNRT, Dionisio Babo Soares today denounced Fretilin plans to spend Oil revenue on Military assets when the people of the country are still internally displaced, and some still traumatised. 

The military now needs urgent attention after five years of Fretilin neglect, but this needs to be done through a proper process of consultation, such as the security sector reform programme, that the UNMIT is mandated to support in keeping with Security Council resolution 1704.

In a statement given to the Australian newspaper yesterday, Fretilin Prime Minister Estanislau da Silva endorsed spending on military development and called for military autonomy on procurement. This is irresponsible for a Government that has been opposed to using revenues to relieve the suffering of the people by establishing a social security system including pensions for the veterans and their families. It is irresponsible for a Prime Minister of Eight weeks to unilaterally decide that the revenues can be spent in a way that won’t relieve the poverty and suffering especially without a clear defence policy.

Soares stated, “While CNRT fully backs a reinvigorated F-FDTL to assist in the stabilisation and rebuilding of our nation, and to serve our nations’ overall defence priorities, how can any party in good faith stand and claim it is in the best interests of the people to spend our oil revenues on military procurement rather than meeting the priorities to fight poverty.

“We agree on the need to train and modernise the F-FDTL and develop it into a highly trained, professional and respected military force, but military procurement must be done within a framework of a national defence policy, which Fretilin has neglected to develop during its five years in Government.

“We need to use the Oil revenues to invest in housing, education, the provision of water and electricity, to deliver healthcare and food to all the people of Timor Leste. We need to use the oil revenues to help our people to help themselves and develop a sustainable economy and a prosperous future for our nation.

“Fretilin repeatedly point to their economic record as a model example, and criticise opposition parties for a ‘reckless’ approach to the Oil Fund, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. In actuality, if you take away Oil revenues and foreign aid, our economy has in fact shrunk over Fretilin’s Five-year tenure of irresponsible Government.

“Our agricultural industry is non existent, rice paddies lie deserted as Fretilin have failed to implement an effective agriculture policy to facilitate the collection and distribution of local produce, instead relying on imports. This is not acceptable when many go without food.

“Government departments have failed to spend allocated budgets across the board, resulting in a lack of improvements in roads, in electricity, in access to potable water, in healthcare. Our Schools do not have adequate infrastructure, the people do not have access to adequate healthcare – this is due to Fretilin’s lack of ability to execute on their grandiose plans. Yet now it seems they have more. 

“CNRT stands for change. That change is a change in Government thinking and action, and a change in approach to solving the issues that our citizens face on a daily basis. We need to set about developing an actionable plan to rebuild our nation from the ground up, getting all citizens of all districts involved and engaged in the process.

We need to establish an economy that is not reliant upon Oil and Gas revenues and foreign aid. We need to restructure our Government, our judicial and social systems and put an end to the suffering of the people.  Then, and only then, can we start to look to the future with our heads held high.”

Ends.

For Further Information
CNRT Media Contact
T: +670 735 8696
E: cnrt.media@gmail.com
W: www.cnrt-timor.org

 

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