Lasama Speak on Anti-Corruption Day

TEMPO SEMANAL TVON 9 December 2009 UN Anti-Corruption Day the National Parliament of Timor-Leste did not exercise their duty to elect a Commissioner for the Anti-Corruption Commission.

The President of the National Parliament Fernando Lasama, was forced to hold a meeting with party bench leaders to find a solution to the current deadlock. FRETILIN Members of Parliament rejected to sit in Parliament because they disagree with the candicacy of Dr. Aderito de Jesus Soares. Soares was the first FRETILIN bench leader in the 2001-2002 Constituent Assembly - and left that body in 2002/3 denying to claim his pension benefits as a former Member of Parliament. He was the Timorese to reject calls by Xanana Gusmao to sit on the Timor-Indonesia Truth and Friendship Commission.

On December 4th Parliament bells rang out but most MPs were absent despite being given warning by Lasama to have a special sitting and extraordinary debate to decide upon the matter of the Anti-Corruption Commission. The biggest opposition party FRETILIN only three MPs were present they were DR. Aniceto Guterres, DR. Arsenio Paxao Bano and Cipriana Pereira the other 18 Fretilin MP were absent. Tempo Semanal sources within FRETILIN said the FRETILIN is boycotting to present in Parliament because they are not agreed with the government's candidacy. One of the FRETILIN MP said Aderito has betrayed FRETILIN because he was involved in the Fretilin Mudanca Group which in 2006 logged a case to Court of Appeal against FRETILIN leaders, Mari Alkatiri and Lu Olo over the manner in which they were re-elected to exectutive positions in the FRETILIN party in May 2006. The Parliament seated today 9 December 2009 at 10.00 AM but because the Anti-Corruption Commission law states that 49 MPs are needed to have quorum to vote the number was under the limit and the session was foiled. Before Lasama announced the delay he appealed to each party bench leaders to tell their members to come. "We have to have solution for this matter because it's in the national interest," Lasama said.

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Posted By TEMPO SEMANAL to TEMPO SEMANAL on 12/09/2009 08:37:00 AM

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