Government of Timor-Leste

The Council of Ministers approved the draft Decree-Law for the first amendment to Decree-Law no. 33/2020, of September 2, regarding the Statute of the Military of FALINTIL - Forças de Defesa de Timor-Leste (F-FDTL), presented by the Minister of Defence, Donaciano do Rosário Gomes. 

As established in the Programme of the 9th Constitutional Government, to achieve the objectives outlined, it is essential to continue developing measures and implementing actions that lead to a fair and dignified retirement process for veteran military personnel who are still on active duty. In this regard, the Government intends to remove the restriction previously imposed on military personnel who reach retirement age, at 60, of no longer being able to perform military duties.

Thus, this legislative intervention aims to ensure that military veterans can, after retirement, continue to fulfil non-operational military functions for a fixed period if they wish. These functions include administrative positions, military social support, teaching and training activities, research, development and innovation, and other areas that preserve Timor-Leste's military history. This measure aims to preserve the legacy of military veterans, passing on values such as patriotism, courage, and sacrifice to future generations. 

The draft Law Proposal also promotes modifying the duration of the positions of Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces (CEMGFA—acronym in Portuguese) and Vice-CEMGFA, limiting the term of office to three years, with the possibility of renewal for a further two years, under the proposal approved by the Superior Council of Military Defence.

This amendment, approximately four years after implementing the F-FDTL Military Statute, is intended to valorise the contribution of retired military veterans and establish new terms for military leadership positions.