Parliament rejects TL Investment Company. PN rejeita t$200 ba CITL

Monday morning, Timor-Leste's Parliament voted 30-26 (with five abstentions and four absent) to delete $200 million from the Government's proposed $1.8 billion budget, for start-up capital for the not-yet-established Timor-Leste Investment Company. 

La'o Hamutuk appreciates the wisdom of the Parliamentarians in protecting the people's resources, as we suggested in several newspapers (bele le'e artigu husi LH iha Tetum) during the last two weeks. We especially applaud the courage and leadership of the Partido Democratico, a member of the AMP governing coalition, in putting the welfare of Timor-Leste's people ahead of political expediency. The successful amendment to remove CITL funding was also supported by Fretilin, PUN and some members of PSD and ASDT.The following is the speech presented by PD Bench Chair Adriano do Nascimento just before to the vote (La'o Hamutuk's unofficial English translation follows afterwards):

Deklarasaun politika ba CITL

Initiative politika hodi hamosu Kapitalizaun Industria Iha Timor Leste, ami la kestiona, nein kontra nia importansia no nia ezistensia. Ami apresia tebes boa vontade politika no kbit intelektual hodi hamosu konseitu ida, Iha debate orsamento 2011.

Maske nune, nudar politiku nebe Iha mos sensibilidade politika, ba kestaun de konseitu dezelvolvimentu global ba povu no nasaun ida ne'e, mak ami hakarak haklaken, ami nia pozisaun politika ba publiku katak Politika kapaitalizasaun ho osan dollar juta 200, seidauk oportunu, atu hahu kedas iha tinan 2012.

Razaun nebe Lori ami hodi hateten zero ba CITL ba tinan 2012, mak razaun legal, ekonomiku no sosial nebe haktuir iha fraze hirak tuir mai ne'e:

1. Lei ba investimentu publiku, atu hari Impreza estatal, mak seidauk iha hodi servi hanesan kuadru legal no mata dalan, ba oinsa atu hari? ho kapital inisiu no masimu hira?se mak atu zere saida? investmentu saida mak sai preiorida? no tamba sa? investimentu ne'e, halo ho se? Iha nebe no bainhira? No mos kestaun teknika ekonomika no politika sira seluk, nebe lori ita atu ba mundu transparansia no akontabilidade estadu nian.

2. Kapitalizasaun ho osan dollar juta 200 ne'e, bot tebes atu aloka iha tinan 2012 nudar, tinan ba dezenvolvimentu demokrasia. Eleisaun presidential no parlamentar sei nesesita, rekursu no esforsu hot-hotu, ho nia finalidade lori emvairomentu foun ukun nian, no adaptasaun ukun nain sira, ba sira nia ukun ne'e rasik.

Ho razaun fundamental rua nebe haktuir Iha leten, maka ami konklui katak:>

1. Tinan 2012, nudar tinan de konsolidasaun demokrasia no estabilidade. Tamba ne'e, maka rekursu no esforsu hot-hotu, diak liu oriente hodi responde nesesidade baziku no urgente hanesan; kadeira no meja ba estudante sira, irigasaun no trator ba agrikultor sira, aimoruk ho mediku ba ema moras sira, estrada, be mos no ahi ba ita hotu.

2. Ho hanoin Iha leten, mak lori ita iha diferensia tatika ba implementasaun CITL, katak guvernu hakarak hahu ohin, ami hakark hahu aban. Ne'e siknifika katak, kestaun de tempu no prioritizasaun, importansia vida moris povu no nasaun nian, mak lori ita haksesuk malu no satan malu, ba buat nebe los no justu, ba ita hotu no ba Timor nia oan, iha Timor ida deit.

Tamba ne'e mos mak Ami hakarak hahu aban, ho konseitu ka filozofia dezenvolvimentu ida hanesan tuir mai ne'e:

"....ohin tau lai osan ba Han kalan nian, no matabisu ba aban dader nian. Hafoin, la'o hakat ba eskola, no dada is iha mahon ida, iha uma nia laran, tur iha kadeira ida, no hakerek iha meja oan ida, hafoin, iha lorokraik, mak buka Internet hodi akompanha dezenvolvimentu Timor Leste nian, inkluindu CITL...".

Ami konsiente katak, maluk sira nia hanoin Luan no naruk duni, maibe, ami nia hanoin mos, la klot no la badak hanesan buat nebe deputado Manuel Tilman hateten. Ita nia diferensia mak ne'e, Imi Mai ho orgulho no optimism, ami fihir ho Laran susar no todan. Laran todan atu hakat kedas ohin ho osan dollar juta 200, no laran susar, atu husik deit sira nebe halerik hodi hein ita, atu hatutan sira nia moris ohin nian, hanesan mensiona iha leten.

Los duni, moris aban tenki hahu ohin, maibe, moris ohin mak han no hemu la to'o, estuda iha aihun no tur iha rai, no moras seim aimoruk, halo moris aban sei namlaek no la iha serteza.

Maske nune, se proposta ida ne'e pasa ho votus maioria, ami tatoli ami nia preokupasaun. Mos, se karik projectu ne'e hetan susesu bot, ami tatoli ami nia parabens. Obrigado wa'in.

Dili, 21 Novembru 2011
Adriano do Nascimento
Chefe Bancada Partido Democratico

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Policy Declaration on CITL (unofficial translation by La'o Hamutuk)

We don't question the policy initiative to create capitalization for industry in Timor-Leste, nor its importance or urgency. We greatly appreciate the political good will and intellectual power to develop this concept in the 2011 budget debate.

However, as politicians we are also politically sensitive to the question of the overall concept of development for this people and nation, which we want to explain, our political and public position that the $200 million capitalization is not yet opportune to start immediately in 2012.

The reasons we say to cut CITL to zero for 2012 are legal, economic and social reasons, which we follow according to these reasons:

1. The public investment law to create state businesses has not started to work as a legal framework and guidline, so how to create them? With how much initial and maximum capital? Who will manage what? What investment will be prioritized? And why? This investment will be done with what? Where and when? There are more technical, political and economic questions, which bring us to the sphere of the state's transparency and accountability.

2. Capitalization with $200 million dollars is too large to allocate for 2012, which is a year to develop democracy. The Presidential and Parliamentary elections will need everyone's resources and efforts, and result in a new leadership environment, with our leaders having to adapt to the new government.

For these two fundamental reasons, we conclude that:

1. 2012 is a year to consolidate democracy and stablility. Therefore, it is better to orient all our resources and efforts to respond to basic and urgent needs, such as chairs and desks for students, irrigation and tractors for farmers, medicine and doctors for sick people, roads, water and electricity for us all.

2. These thoughts lead us to a tactical difference for implementing CITL, which the Government wants to start today, and we want to start tomorrow. This means that, the question of time and prioiritization, importance for the lives of our people and our nation, brings us to some truths and conclusions that are true and fair, for all of us and for all Timorese, in our single Timor.

Therefore, we want to begin tomorrow, with a concept and philosophy of development as follows:

"today put aside money to eat supper, and tomorrow morning's breakfast. Later, we go to school, live under the same roof, in the same house, sit in one chair, and write on one desk, later, in the afternoon we look for internet to accompany Timor-Leste's development, including CITL..."

We realize that some of our friends's have far-seeing, long-term ideas, but we also think, not short or narrow like MP Manuel Tilman says. Our difference is this -- you come with pride and optimism, we observe with worry and deep consideration. We feel that it is difficult to move forward quickly with $200 million. We find it troubling to ignore the cries which appeal to us, to continue their daily lives, as explained above.

It's true that tomorrow's life begins today, but when life today doesn't have enough food and drink, students under the trees sitting on the ground, sick without medicine, life tomorrow will be shriveled and uncertain.

Therefore, if this proposed amendment passes with a majority vote, we offer our concerns. But, if this CITL project is a big success, we offer our congratulations. Thank you.

Dili, 21 November 2011
Adriano do Nascimento
Chief of Bench, Democratic Party