DILI, 05 october 2021 (TATOLI) – The government team for overseas voters’ registration had departed to United Kingdom, Portugal, and South Korea on october 1, following the departure ceremony of the team on september 30.
The overseas voters’ registration for the 2022 presidential election was officially launched by the Secretariat for Electoral Administration (STAE), accompanied by the Timor-Leste’s National Elections Commission (CNE), at Lailine Lariguto Hall, in Dili, on july 1.
Article 65(1) Constitution of Timor-Leste: “Elected organs of sovereignty and local government shall be chosen by free, direct, secret, personal and regular universal suffrage.” In addition, article 65(2): “Registration of voters shall be compulsory and officially initiated, single and universal, to be updated for each election.”
Under Timor-Leste’s Voters Registration Decree-Law 16/2016 as amended by the Decree-Law 19/2021 (3) all Timorese nationals abroad, who are not disqualified by law, at least eighteen (18) years of age have the right to be registered as overseas voters.
A team of 34 people had departed to South Korea, Portugal, and the United Kingdom on october 1.
Speaking at the departure ceremony of the team on september 30, the Director-General of the Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration (STAE), Acilino Manuel Branco informed that Australia is currently under lockdown, saying, therefore, the designated team for Australia will have to wait until the flight operation to Australia is available.
“Of the 34 members, eight are from STAE, 12 from MoFAC, eight from CNE, and six from MoJ,” Branco said.
Apart from the voters’ registration centers at the embassies and consulates, mobile voter registration would be carried in those cities where many Timorese reside.
Branco said so far, around 7.000 new voters have been registered: “Currently, we have 847.315 voters and the number will increase.”
He said up to 1.200 vote centers and 1.500 polling stations had been identified across the country, adding three parallel vote centers would be set in Dili.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
