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Dili, April 14th, 2015
Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers of 14 April 2015
The Council of ministers met this Tuesday, the 14th of April 2015, at the Council of Ministers meeting room, at the Government Palace, in Díli, and approved two diplomas and analysed three presentations:
1. Government resolution that approves the creation of the Organisation Committee for the Commemoration of the 500 years since the Affirmation of the New Timorese Identity
This diploma defines the creation of the organisation committee for the Commemoration of the 500 years since the Affirmation of the New Timorese Identity. The commemorations will occur during the present year, with its highlight on the 28th November. The commission, which integrates several members of Government, will be responsible to prepare the commemorative events, taking into account a historical, cultural and intellectual approach.
This commemoration intends, as a starting point, to signal the arrival of the Portuguese navigators and missionaries to Lifau, Oe-cusse Ambeno, and represents a historic mark in the affirmation of the new Timorese identity and the construction of Timor-Leste.
2. Decree Law on the Council of the National Liberation Combatants
This Decree Law regulates the legal nature, the structure, objectives and competencies of the Council of the National Liberation Combatants.
The Council of the National Liberation Combatants was created in 2011, when the National Parliament approved an alteration to Law no. 2/2011, of the 23rd March. Item 3 of article 35 in this Law defines that “The structure of the Council of the National Liberation Combatants is defined by Decree Law, in consultation with the representative organisations of the National Liberation Combatants”.
Over the past few years, many consultation activities to the Combatants have been carried out so that they could comment on this diploma.
Therefore, this Decree Law, approved by the Council of Ministers, grants the combatants a decisive role in the promotion of sustainable development in Timor-Leste, of peace and social stability in the country, attributing it a consulting entity function for the Government.
With the intention of memorising the 3rd of March 1981, date of the beginning of the reorganisation of the Resistance, in one of the most difficult periods in the history of the Fight for National Freedom, it has been decided to consider this date as Veterans National Day.
The three presentations analysed by the Council of Ministers were:
1. Presentation on the Population Growth of Timor-Leste until 2030 and Implications for National Development
A team from Flinders University, in Adelaide, Australia, led by Dr. Udoy Saikia, presented, to the Council of Ministers, a “Projection on the population growth and composition of Timor-Leste until 2030 and their sectoral implications”. This study has the objective of establishing a system of measures that allow for the definition of policies centred in the promotion of well being and quality of life of the population, especially to the Youth.
2. Presentation on the role and activities of the National Election Committee
The Commissioners of the National Election Committee made a general presentation to the Council of Ministers regarding their functions and activities, namely on the general framework, intervention area, composition and their intervention within the scope of the electoral circuits.
3. Presentation on the reform of community leadership structures
The Minister of State, Coordinator for the Affairs of State Administration and Justice and the Minister for State Administration, together with the Vice Minister for State Administration, presented, to the Council of Ministers, a proposal to review the organisation model of community leadership, in order to establish an organisation model and of designation of community leaders which is closer to the traditional standards of Timor-Leste. The fundamental principles that will guide the revision of the legal framework for community leadership were also established.