CNRT will negotiate new government only if president swears in Ministers

 ETLJB - The constitutional crisis that has been simmering in East Timor for the last three years continues to dog the country's development. The President has refused to appoint Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak's nominations for several portfolios in his government.

LUSA reports on February 11, 2020 that the National Congress of East Timor Reconstruction (CNRT), the largest party in the coalition of East Timor’s government, will only consider negotiations on a new executive if the president, Francisco Guterres Lu-Olo, retreats and swears in the ministers of the party.

Duarte Nunes, the head of the CNRT, told Lusa that this change of position on the president is a precondition for the political force, led by Xanana Gusmão, to accept any new executive.

“The condition imposed by the party is that if we form another government, the president must swear in the list of ministers that the prime minister presented. It is the only condition that is imposed,” said Duarte Nunes in a statement to Lusa.

This failure of Parliament to pass the budget comes after months of criticism by CNRT of Lu-Olo’s decision to refuse to swear in more than a dozen members of the government, the majority of Xanana Gusmão’s party.

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