We liberated the country... ...now we liberate the people of East Timor

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CNRT Pledges A True Government Of The People

Dili – 13th June 2007

Fretilin’s Legislative campaign highlights a Government out of touch with reality and its people. Its strategy of recounting the grandiose successes of Fretilin, that spew forth a perpetual diatribe of political promises and schemed reforms around financial and social restitution, prove baseless under the lightest of scrutiny. Their claims, blatantly refuted by available statistics, leave the citizens of East Timor in no doubt that Fretilin is out of touch with the state of the nation. This detached, out of touch approach to Government was a key catalysts to last year’s crisis, the aftershocks of which live on for the people, but apparently not for Fretilin.

By committing to a host of initiatives in a world-wide media blitz, which are in such stark contrast to their government and parliamentary record, launching such a first-world styled media campaign, they only further show the citizens of East Timor that Fretilin refuses to acknowledge the country is in need of acute care and a healthy dose of compassion. Instead of offering the citizens promises of the basic inalienable rights of a democratic and principled state, they offer promises that do not reflect the needs, desires or priorities of a country that experienced a crisis of governance that they presided over.

General Secretary and Spokesperson of CNRT, Dionisio Babo Soares, said “Fretilin keeps talking about how proud it is of its track record, Fretilin’s leadership should hang their heads in shame. Our people are still displaced and hungry - and Fretilin is proud? Our children go unclothed, without electricity and water, without access to basic sanitation - and Fretilin is proud? Our mothers and unborn children are dying because of lack of medical facilities - and Fretilin is proud? A tenth of our community is displaced - and Fretilin is proud? Over half of our population is illiterate - and Fretilin is proud?  

“It shows such utter disregard for humanity that, despite the poverty, the suffering, the anguish, this Fretilin Parliament is proud.  They are completely out of touch with reality. And to add insult to injury with a true reflection of their priorities, they actually took the time, the financial, parliamentary and legal resources to outline and execute lavish life pensions for themselves. They seem to have absolutely no understanding how serious a crisis the people of our nation faced.  

“No grandiose plans or carefully crafted media releases can change the statistical facts the next parliament will have to contend with. The fact is that our country has undergone a crisis, a crisis of public confidence in its Government - there is not much to be proud of. There are political leaders who are committed to changing the current state, but in order for change you must acknowledge your own role in the problem, and Fretilin clearly does not acknowledge or accept accountability for the failings of its Government. All you have to do is read their boastful media propaganda and compare their vanities with the documented realities.”

“CNRT calls for total reform - principled, measured and without hesitation. We have only one priority, and that is to ensure the welfare of our citizens and the future of our nation. Our people are sick, they are hungry, they are tired and they are wounded, our sole aim is to ease poverty, mobilise services and to dismiss the one party style government of Fretilin, its governance only resulted in more violence and took us to the brink.

“CNRT pledges to establish and reform law and order, to create a culture of transparency and open forum governance of accountability, and to promote inclusivity by enacting the principles established in our constitution. To prioritise Budget allocation to assist the poor and suffering - in our government life pensions for politicians would not have been a priority. CNRT pledges to swiftly activate the decentralisation of government and create checks and balances for the state and its four sovereign institutions, so that they may act with complete independence, freely and fairly. Our resources must be mobilised for the greater good of our citizens. We are in a state of crisis and need to rebuild our nation. I am not proud of the failed hopes and dreams of our people, but I am proud of the spirit of Timor-Leste and its citizens, they have embraced the democratic spirit and despite parliaments’ attempts to limit their constitutional rights, they will not be thwarted.”
 
“This week Fretilin showed its true colours - boastful, arrogant and in denial. They refuse to acknowledge the impact of the crisis; they refuse to acknowledge that their Government has failed. We have children dying of ringworm, we have police officers shooting unarmed civilians, we have politicians bribing contractors - it is rampant, it is unacceptable, it is documented and it has to end.”

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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