02 August 2012

East Timor Legal News 01 August 2012

Lasama, President of the Democratic Party
Lasama ready to be deputy Prime Minister Suara Timor-Lorosae August 1, 2012 - The former President of the Parliament Fernando Lasama de Araujo said he was ready to assume the post of deputy prime minister for social issues in the fifth constitutional government.

“I am not ambitious to have another post but it is based on the real process. Today I have finished my post as the president of the parliament and I will hold another post,” he said.

Lasama added he would continue to serve the country in other posts and said he was ready if Prime Minister Gusmao appointed him as his deputy.
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Justice Minister’s corruption appeal need swift resolution, says lawyer Independente, August 1, 2012 - The lawyer of the former Justice Minister Lucia Lobato has urged the Court of Appeal to quickly decide her corruption conviction appeal.

Mrs. Lobato's lawyer, Sergio Hornai, said his client was still waiting for the Court's decision. “We want the court of Appeal to make a decision as soon as possible,” Mr. Hornai said.

Mr. Lobato was found guilty two months ago of having been involved in corruption and was ordered to serve five years in jail.

She has since appealed her case but Mr. Hornai declined to explain on what ground. Hornai said his client would accept any decision made by the Court of Appeal.
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New Members of Parliament agree to amend pension fund law Independente, August 1, 2012 - The new Members of Parliament for the 2012 ­ 2017 legislature have agreed to amend the Pension Fund Law for  former-MPs and former Government officials as according to them, it is act of corruption against the poor.

The amendment of the referred law will be the top priority of CNRT and Fretilin’s agenda in the Parliament.

MP Aderito Hugo da Costa from CNRT said they had planned to amend the pension fund law.

MP Francisco Branco said they would make an amendment to the law as it did not benefit the people.
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Parliament will prioritise land law, victim reparation and memorial institution laws Diario Nacional August 1, 2012 - The newly elected president of the Parliament Vicente Guteres said the new MPs will prioritize the land law, victim reparation and memorial institution laws because those laws were important for the exercise people’s rights.

“We will work hard to approve and fix the pending laws especially the land law and victim reparation law bvecause they are both very important for the people,” Guteres said.

Guteres added the essential objective of the third legislation was to respond to the parliament and to modernise the parliament’s role in terms of the law, political decisions and budget execution.

ETLJB Editor's Note: See also 
East Timor Land Rights: Restitution Not Possession – A Comment on the Draft Land Law
East Timor's proposed land law will give citizens back their country 
President vetoes land and property law
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East Timor and Indonesia ignore Truth and Friendship Commission Report Timor Post, August 1, 2012  - Both East Timor and the Republic of Indonesia continue to ignore the implementation of the Truth and Friendship Commission (KVA) report; even though it has been ready for four years since these countries launched the final report.

Acting Director of the Judicial System Monitoring Program (JSMP) Casimiro dos Santos said it was important to implement the KVA report because the implementation would recover the victims’ suffering during the occupation time and prevent violations of human rights in the future.

“I am calling on the two countries to implement the KVA report in order to proceed legally against the suspects who were engaged in the crimes because legal processes could end impunity in Timor-Leste and Indonesia,” he added.

Timor-Leste and Indonesia established the Truth and Friendship Commission (KVA) on August 11, 2005 with the mission of resolving human rights violation crime cases before and after 1999, which it suspects were committed by the Indonesian military and its militias.


ETLJB Editor's Note: See also:
Justice for Serious Crimes Committed during 1999 in Timor-Leste: Where to From Here?
Commission for Truth Friendship East Timor Competing Concepts of Justice

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