DILI, 21 june 2021 (TATOLI) – The representatives of the people in the National Parliament (PN), today, approved a vote of congratulation for the reappointment of António Guterres as Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) for another five years.
The congratulatory vote was approved with 49 votes in favor, with no votes against or abstentions. “The vote of congratulation for the reappointment of António Guterres was approved”, said the President of the National Parliament in office, the current Vice-President, Luís Roberto, in the plenary session.
The head of the FRETILIN political party, deputy Francisco Miranda Branco, said that the UN Secretary General is “an important figure” in the process of the struggle for the national liberation of Timor-Leste.
“António Guterres is a figure who fulfills his role as Secretary General of the United Nations. In his first term, the secretary gave his priority to politics in the fight against climate change and defends human rights and the development process”, he recalled.
The FRETILIN political party also praised António Guterres for fighting the covid-19 global pandemic during his first term. The Head of the CNRT bench, Deputy Duarte Nunes, congratulated António Guterres on his nomination for the second term as UN Secretary General.
“It is an honor for the Timorese people. In his first term, we won the victory over the maritime border”, said the deputy from the CNRT bench. The head of the Democratic Party (PD) bench, deputy António da Conceição ‘Kalohan’, said that António Guterres deserves the congratulatory vote”. “I think it is a source of pride for the Timorese people. He is a leader of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP)”, he said.
The proposal for the congratulatory vote was initiated by deputies Francisco Miranda Branco, Abel Pires da Silva, Duarte Nunes and Olinda Guterres. António Guterres, 72, was reappointed last Friday as Secretary General of the United Nations, having obtained the unanimous vote of the 173 member states of the organization founded on October 4, 1945 and which is headquartered in New York.
In january 2017, Guterres, the first Portuguese to reach a position of this global dimension, became the ninth UN Secretary-General for a five-year term, until December 31, 2021, officially starting the second term on 1 january 2022.
Journalist: Jose Belarmino de Sá
Editor: Rafy Belo
