DILI, 5 january 2022 (TATOLI) – The President of the Republic, Francisco Guterres ‘Lu OLo’ will hold a two-day meeting with the political parties to hear their opinions and thoughts before announcing the official presidential election timeline.
According to article 12 of Law No. 7/2006 of 28 December, the President of the Republic would hear the opinions and thoughts of the government and political parties before decreeing the official date of the presidential election.
Therefore, President Lu Olo would hold a two-day meeting with the political parties from 6 to 7 January to hear their opinions and thoughts before the announcement of the official date of the 2022 presidential election.
The President of the Republic would meet the Democratic Party (PD), People Liberation Party (PLP), Frente Mudança (FM), and the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (FRETILIN) on january 6, 2021.
On the following day, President Lu Olo would have another meeting with the Party for Unity, Democracy and Development (PUDD), National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT), Kmanek Haburas Unidade Nasional Timoroan (KHUNTO), and Timorese Democratic Union (UDT).
Last week, the President of the Republic held a special meeting with Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak, and the Minister of State Administration (MoSA) to hear the preparation process of the government for the upcoming presidential election.
Previously, the President of the Republic also held the same meeting with the National Commission for Elections (CNE), and Secretariat for Electoral Administration (STAE) to talk about the technical preparation for the presidential election in 2022.
The government had been prepared to increase the number of vote centers and polling stations across the country.
Director-General of the Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration (STAE), Acilino Manuel Branco informed that up to 1.200 vote centers and 1.500 polling stations would be set across the country, adding three parallel vote centers would be also established in Dili
The aim of increasing the number of the vote centers and polling stations was to facilitate the voters by bringing the vote centers and polling stations closer to the communities. It will help the new voters to exercise their democratic rights to vote in the upcoming election.
The increase in the number of vote centers and polling stations is crucial to ensure a safe election for all citizens during a pandemic time.
He said up to 8 november 2022, STAE has registered more than 20.076 new voters.
“As of 8 november 2021, STAE had also registered more than 855.597 voters, including 6.538 Timorese voters who are currently residing overseas,” Branco said.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
