03 July 2009

FRETILIN Reply: Statement By The Spokesperson of the IV Constitutional Government

30 June 2009 FRETILIN Reply: Statement By The Spokesperson of the IV Constitutional Government, The Secretary of State for the Council of Ministers

STOP TELLING PORKIES YOURSELF AGIO PEREIRA. WE NEVER HAVE.

In response to the statement of 30 June 2009, FRETILIN denies any suggestion of having lied or in any manner misrepresented the truth or misled the media in its communication with the media.

We refuse to be engaged by these attempts to divert us from the real debate of corruption in the AMP de facto government.

It is however clear that it is Mr. Pereira that is telling "big porkies".

His own release/statement is a tribute to his skills to tell "big porkies" FRETILIN's media release stated:

"The Timor-Leste National Parliament in a rare display of bi-partisanship today passed with near unanimity (no votes against but one abstention) its own anti-corruption law, in the process rejecting a draft that had been proposed by the Government over nearly one year and which had been submitted to the National Parliament."

Mr. Pereira's "big porkie" in adding the additional words "from a FRETILIN member" did not go unnoticed. Who voted abstention is on the record in parliament. It was a FRETILIN member arguing improper parliamentary procedures had been followed in the government draft law being thrown aside and another draft replaced whilst already at committee stage. The point is that our release was dishonestly altered by Mr. Pereira. That is a "big porkie" Mr. Pereira.

In future we demand Mr. Pereira quote our releases as written and published by us and not alter it. We request you be honest in dealing with our releases in future.

Further, there is no way our release can be interpreted as having attempted to claim credit for the Anti-Corruption Law, but stated it was parliament's collective effort. Another porkie Mr. Pereira. The reference to "own" was to the "parliament's own", not FRETILIN.

There is no way of denying it.

Finally in future, I request in future Mr. Pereira have the courage to respond to my media releases rather than attack my colleagues on an unrelated topic.

No comments: