“We are producing…The people will decide later”

In the recent official visit that the Prime Minister made to four countries (United States of America, Cuba, Brazil and United Kingdom, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão gave an interview to the United Nations Radio in New York, after participating in the United Nations Security Council Meeting.

What the young Nation expects from the United Nations Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) and the 2012 elections, the Portuguese language, the possible assistance from the CPLP (Portuguese Speaking Countries) to Portugal and the fight against domestic violence, were the themes approached in this 20 minute interview.

UNMIT and the 2012 elections

The UNMIT mandate renewal was approved in the United Nations Security Council Meeting, which preceded this interview. In the mentioned meeting, the Prime Minister asked for logistic support, despite the fact that Timor-Leste is already developing efforts to guarantee its autonomy and logistic capacity for events of this nature.

Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, also requested the dispatch of observers for the 2012 elections.

“If the UNDP (United Nations Development Program) could have some money from the UN (United Nations Organization) to help to pay the expenses, we would appreciate it immensely, since because it’s the third election, we wouldn’t like that afterwards there were accusations of fraud and manipulation. We want to respect the rules”, said the Prime Minister.

Xanana Gusmão, also guarantee that he’s not a candidate to the presidential elections, and that “My party was created two months before the (2007) elections because I felt that there was a need to contribute for the nation’s peace and stability. We are producing … afterwards the people will decide”, concluded the Head of Government.

Possible assistance to Portugal

In this interview to the United Nations Radio, the Prime Minister also talked about the visit to Brazil and the existing cooperation between the two countries.

Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão anticipated another issue that was later discussed with the Brazilian President of the Republic, Dilma Roussef – the possible assistance from the CPLP to Portugal, a theme for discussion, requested by the Timor-Leste President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta.

Portuguese Language

The adoption of Portuguese as Timor-Leste’s official language was another question put to the Prime Minister, who explained that it “is an instrument of identity” for the young Nation.

“We will have to, in economic terms, to also learn English. In the region that we are in, English is necessary. But we are ourselves. We cannot invent a new identity. We are Timor-Leste because of the Portuguese presence. If the Portuguese had left 400 years ago, as happened in Flores, we would be an Indonesian province. Thus, ironically, the Portuguese presence gave us an identity, gave us the right to be a People”, explained the Prime Minister.

Regarding the challenge that constitutes the teaching of the Portuguese to a population that, in its majority, speaks very little of the language, Xanana Gusmão reminded of the commitments assumed for the Millennium Development Goals, to highlight the fact that this is only one of the several challenges that the country faces, in terms of education.

Domestic violence

The domestic violence, mentioned in the international reports as one of the problems that Timor-Leste has to resolve, is one issue that is being fought at several levels, explained the Prime Minister. The Law against the domestic violence was already approved. The 2012 State Budget contemplates several measures for the combat of this crime. But Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão highlighted that more time and policies are needed.

“It is a problem that must be seen more broadly. We make money available, we do reports, but we don’t realize that to achieve results in fighting something we need to have elements that can continue combating it. There are many options to be taken … People say: “You already have a law and don’t enforce!’ The effort exists but, sometimes, there is a nine year old child and we want that child to run the marathon for 19 year old youngsters. It is not possible! Some reports that appear in the world about us …. It is not that we don’t agree that people can point out our failures, but sometimes we don’t agree with the way that our faults are approached.”