IV CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT

SECRETARIAT OF STATE FOR THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS

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PRESS RELEASE

Meeting of the Council of Ministers of 21 December 2011

The Council of Ministers met this Wednesday, 21 December 2011, in the Council of Ministers meeting roon, in the Government Palace, in Díli, and approved:

1. Day Off for the 26 December 2012 and the 2 January 2012

The IV Constitutional Government of Timor-Leste has decided to grant a day off on the 26th of December 2011 and January 2, 2012, for the whole day, to all employees and agents of the ministries or their dependent services, as well as to the institutes and integrated indirect administration bodies of the state.

This decision is based on Law No. 10/2005 of August 10, which determines the days which are national holidays, the official commemorative dates and days off, and is made taking into account the family festivities celebrated in this festive season, and which is traditionally dedicated to the reunion of all its members, marked with festivities and religious ceremonies.

The Council of Ministers also analysed:

1. Update on the preparations for the 2012 elections

The Minister of State Administration and Territorial Management (MSATM), Arcângelo Leite, and the Director-General of the Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration (STAE), Thomas Cabral, made a detailed presentation on the greater challenges relevant to the preparations for the presidential and legislative elections in 2012, in order to ensure their success.