FRETILIN calls on all parties to respect Constitutional Court ruling on Petroleum Authority

FRETILIN

MEDIA RELEASE

Dili, 24 June 2009

FRETILIN calls on all parties to respect Constitutional Court ruling on National Petroleum Authority

FRETILIN’s leader in the Timor-Leste National Parliament, Aniceto Guterres today called on all parties to respect a Constitutional Court ruling against the petition by FRETILIN MPs that the National Petroleum Authority was unconstitutional.

In a written judgment dated 16 June 2009, and delivered to FRETILIN MPs yesterday, the court rejected the arguments of unconstitutionality regarding Government Decree Law 20/2008 of 19 June 2008.

“FRETILIN MPs took the step of petitioning the court in good faith after analyzing and taking legal advice on the government decree law passed by the AMP de facto government without passing through parliament. The Constitutional Court has ruled on it, and that is that. We all have to respect the court decision and urge all concerned to comply with it – no more, no less,” Guterres said.

Guterres added that respecting Court decisions and complying with them without fuss or complaint is an important way of entrenching the rule of law in Timor-Leste’s young democracy and justice system.

“It shows once again that our courts are independent and credible. This ruling cements that reputation,” he concluded, but adding that FRETILIN continued to have grave concerns about the lack of transparency of the Decree Law which he foresahdowed FRETILIN would move to review and amend at the first opportunity.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT JOSE TEIXEIRA MP ON +670 728 7080