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Press Release
Meeting of the Council of Ministers on March 10th, 2021
The Council of Ministers met, at the Ministry of Finance, in Dili, and approved the Law Proposal draft for the first amendment to Law 6/2016, of May 25th, on the Voters Registration Law, presented by the Minister of State Administration, Miguel Pereira de Carvalho. With this amendment, whoever loses or damages their electoral card three or more times is subject to the payment of a fee for the issuance of a new card. In order to ensure greater security in the voter registration, the possibility of cross-checking data with the Ministry of Finance is also legally provided for, in addition to the ministries previously provided for. The baptismal certificate and personal card of the Islamic community are no longer accepted for registration purposes and other elements are added to the voters card and voters registration database. In order to ensure correct voters identification, the possibility of collecting biometric data as voters identification data is now foreseen.
The Law Proposal draft for the third amendment to Law 5/2006, of December 28th, on the Electoral Administrative Bodies, also presented by the Minister of State Administration, was also approved. This Law Proposal draft intends to adapt to the content of new legal diplomas and to the specification of some existing ambiguous contents, as well as to ensure the coordination in terms of functions between the two electoral bodies, the National Elections Commission (CNE – Portuguese acronym) and the Technical Secretariat of the Electoral Administration (STAE – Portuguese acronym).
After the presentation, by the Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak, on the epidemiological situation in the Municipality of Covalima, the Council of Ministers decided to remove the imposition of a health fence in this municipality, except in the Administrative Post of Fatumean, which will remain until March 21st. Public Administration services and schools in this municipality will remain closed until the March 13th, according to the determinations of the responsible Government members.
The Council of Ministers also decided on the first amendment to Government Resolution 12/2021, of March 8th, which imposes a health fence and lockdown in the Municipality of Dili, until March 15th, 11:59 a.m. With this amendment, it is also forbidden to travel, by land, sea, or air, into this municipality, except in cases duly based on security, public health, humanitarian or other reasons, that prove necessary for the realization of the public interest, authorized by the Minister of the Interior. It also clarifies that the disrespect to the orders and instructions issued by the competent authorities for the application of the rules contained in this resolution may import criminal liability of the infringer, in accordance with the Penal Code. During this resolution’s term, collective passenger transportation is suspended. The Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs and the Minister of Tourism, Trade and Industry, through joint order, will define which economic activities and services should be closed, and what rules of operation for activities that may remain in operation.
Lastly, the Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs, Joaquim Amaral and the Secretary of State for the Environment, Demétrio do Amaral de Carvalho, made a preliminary presentation to the Council of Ministers on Timor-Leste’s National Adaptation Plan for climate risks and for the creation of climate resilience. This plan presents a set of measures that aim to address the threats caused by the climate change and to reduce the impacts of national vulnerabilities, such as sea level rise, floods, strong winds, extreme rainfall, drought and global warming. END