Delayed motion of censure of the Timorese Government

LUSA

!WARNING! MACHINE TRANSLATION ORIGINAL PORTUGUESE TEXT NOTICIAS AU MINUTO 09:40 - 11/21/17 BY LUSA PARLIAMENT Leaders of the five parliamentary seats in the East Timorese parliament have postponed a decision on the timing of the debate on the motion of censure that the opposition majority announced on Monday against the government.

"In an unprecedented decision in Timor-Leste, the opposition approved a motion to reject the government's program on October 19 and opted to move ahead with the censure motion - whose approval implies a downfall of the government ..."

The parliamentary committee explained to Lusa that the leaders deliberated today, during a meeting, to contact the Government to understand their willingness to go to the debate in the plenary of the censure motion.



The same source explained that the meeting of the leaders of the benches only confirmed for December 4 the start of the debate on the appeal that the opposition also presented on Monday against the processing of the Rectifying Budget.

The regulation provides that Members can appeal against any decision of the President and in this case, the opposition contests admission to the processing of the draft law of the Budget Amendment that the opposition contests because it considers that the Government did not submit the program of the executive in time.

On Monday, the opposition blocked a request for urgency in the processing of the rectification and now even wants to prevent the document from being debated, although formally its process has already begun with the decision of the president to admit the document and the refer to specialist committees.

The approval of both the appeal and the motion of censure is almost certain given the current parliamentary configuration.

Minority party, the executive is supported by the 23 deputies of the Revolutionary Front of the Independent Timor-Leste (Fretilin) ​​- party more voted - and the seven deputies of the Democratic Party (PD), fourth political force.

The opposition, for its part, has 35 MPs from the 22nd National Congress of East Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT), eight from the Popular Liberation Party (PLP) and five from the Kmanek Haburas National Unity Timor Oan (KHUNTO).

In an unprecedented decision in Timor-Leste, the opposition approved a motion to reject the government's program on October 19 and opted to move ahead with the censure motion - whose approval implies a downfall of the government - because the executive did not hand over program the second time.

If the government falls, the head of state, Francisco Guterres Lu-Olo, will have to choose between a new government solution in the current parliamentary framework or to call for early elections.