Government of Timor-Leste

Minister of State and of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and

Official Spokesperson for the Government of Timor-Leste

 Díli, February 11, 2015

President of the Republic announces the new Prime Minister of Timor-Leste is to be Dr. Rui Maria de Araújo

The Office of the President of the Republic has announced that the new Prime Minister of Timor-Leste is to be Dr. Rui Maria de Araújo.

In a statement released earlier this evening the Office advised:

"H.E. President of Republic concluded today the hearings with parties having seats at the Parliament on the nomination of the new Prime Minister.

As the result of these hearings, President of Republic accepted the proposal of CNRT, the most voted party at the last legislative elections, which nominated Dr. Rui Maria Araújo for the post as Prime Minister.

The President of Republic will receive the nominee-Prime Minister in the next few days to discuss the constitution of the VI Constitutional Government. Then, the Government will be sworn-in by the President of Republic predictably at the end of this week."

As noted in the statement, it is anticipated that Dr. Araújo will be officially sworn in, along with all members of the new Sixth Constitutional Government, by the end of the week in a Ceremony in Dili. Until then, the Prime Minister and the Government remain in office and ensure day-to-day management, performing all actions required for the administration of the State, public interest and government transition.

Dr. Araújo graduated in 1994 from the Udayana University in Bali, Indonesia with a degree as Doctor of Medicine [MD] and went on to achieve a Masters of Public Health, Health Policy, Health Management and Health Financing at the Otago University, Dunedin, New Zealand in 2001.

He was Minister of Health in the United Nations Transitional Administration of East Timor [2001-2002] and in Timor-Leste’s First Constitutional Government [2002-2006]. In the Second Constitutional Government [2006-2007] Dr. Araújo was Second Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Health and in the Third Constitutional Government [2007] was Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Health.

Now that the President has confirmed Dr. Araújo, work towards the composition of the new executive is expected to be concluded.

Planned changes in the government structure are aimed to improve service delivery and invigorate the implementation of the Strategic Development Plan. Proposed changes include reducing the size of the government to create a smaller, more efficient and effective executive, adding new people with proven skill and experience and opening up opportunities for the younger generation to step up and lead.

Spokesperson for the Fifth Constitutional Government, Minister of State Agio Pereira, noted “With this acceptance by the President we have more certainty regarding the path ahead. In all of these deliberations and in the Government to come let us prioritize serving the people, honoring our history of struggle and building a positive and more prosperous future for all in our young nation.”