DILI, 17 march 2022 (TATOLI) – A reshuffle of Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak’s cabinet is underway, four ministers would be out of his cabinet.
New four ministers would be included in the new set of Timor-Leste’s Council of Ministers.
Speaking after his regular meeting with the President of the Republic, Francisco Guterres ‘Lú Olo’, on thursday, Ruak said: “Four ministers would be out of my current cabinet, but we still haven’t had official confirmation. You will know who is in and who is out at the inaugural ceremony.”
Asking about his fundamental reason for the cabinet reshuffle, Ruak replied it depended on the evolution process of his cabinet.
“We will know the names of the new ministers as soon as we have an official confirmation. Thus, this matter is no longer a secret. There will be a swearing-in ceremony, so all information will be made public,” he concluded.
“The list of the new members will be released once the decision is made,” Ruak said during his first announcement about the cabinet reshuffle.
Ruak stressed that cabinet reshuffle had taken place several times in Timor-Leste’s history.
Earlier this week, Ruak proposed to the President of the Republic (PR), Francisco Guterres ‘Lú Olo’, the dismissal of the Secretary of State for the Affairs of National Liberation Combatant, Gil da Costa Monteiro ‘Oan Soru’, alleging disloyalty.
Gil da Costa Monteiro ‘Oan Soru’, from the CNRT Party admitted that he had received a letter of dismissal from the Prime Minister.
“I want to thank Prime Minister Ruak for his generosity in exonerating me. Thank you for the decision,” he stated.
On may 28, 2020, the President of the Republic, Francisco Guterres ‘LuOlo’ swore in eight government members, and on june 24, 2020, the President also swore in another 23 government members.
President ‘Lú Olo’ through presidential decree No 39/2020, nominated Armanda Berta dos Santos as the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Social, Solidary and Inclusion, Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhães as the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Francisco Martins da Costa Pereira Jerónimo as Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Social Communication, Fernando Hanjam as the Ministry of Finance, Miguel Pereira de Carvalho as the Minister of State Administration, Odete Maria Freitas Belo as the Minister of Health, Júlio Sarmento da Costa ‘Meta Mali’ as the Minister for the Affairs of National Liberation Combatants, Pedro dos Reis as the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.
In addition, within the same year, the President also nominated José Maria dos Reis as the Vice Prime Minister, and Minister of Planning and Territory, Joaquim Amaral as the Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs, Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Armindo Maia as the Minister of Education, Youth, and Sports, José Lucas do Carmo da Silva as the Minister of Tourism, Trade and Industry, Taur Matan Ruak as the Minister of the Interior, and Víctor da Conceição Soares as the Minister of Petroleum and Minerals.
President ‘Lu Olo’ also nominated 12 vice ministers, including Vice Minister of Finance Sara Lobo Brites, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Julião da Silva, Vice Minister of Justice José Edmundo Caetano, Vice Minister of State Administration Lino de Jesus Torrezão, Vice Minister of Health Bonifácio Mau Coli dos Reis, Vice Minister of Education, Youth and Sport António Guterres, Vice Minister of Social Solidarity Signi Chandrawati Verdial, Vice Minister of Public Works Nicolau Lino Freitas Belo, Vice Minister of Community and Cultural Tourism Inacia da Conceição Teixeira, Vice Minister of Trade and Industry Domingos Lopes Antunes, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Abílio Xavier de Araújo, and Vice Minister of the Interior António Armindo.
The State Secretaries who nominated by the President of the Republic in 2020 included State Secretary for Vocational Training and Employment Alarico de Rosário, Secretary of State for Cooperatives Elizário Ferreira, Secretary of State for the Environment Demétrio do Amaral de Carvalho, Secretary of State for Communications Merício Juvinal dos Reis “Akara”, Secretary of State for Land and Property Mário Ximenes, Secretary of State for Youth and Sport Abrão Saldanha, Secretary of State for Art and Culture Teófilo Caldas, Secretary of State for the Affairs of National Liberation Combatants Gil da Costa Monteiro ‘Oan Soru’, Secretary of State for Fisheries Elídio de Araújo, Secretary of State for Civil Protection Joaquim José Gusmão dos Reis Martins, and Secretary of State for Equality and Inclusion Maria José da Fonseca Monteiro de Jesus.
The VIII Constitutional Government has a total of 43 government members, made up of ministers, vice-ministers, and state secretaries.
The Structure of the VIII Constitutional Government was formed by three political parties, namely the People’s Liberation Party (PLP), Kmanek Haburas Unidade Nasional Timor Oan (KHUNTO), and the Revolutionary Front for an Independent Timor-Leste (FRETILIN).
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Rafy Belo
