DILI, 06 january 2023 (TATOLI) – MP of the Democratic Party at the National Parliament, Adriano do Nascimento, said that the government should create conditions for Timorese citizens living in Indonesia to vote in the 2023 parliamentary elections.
Nascimento stressed that Timorese citizens living in Indonesia outnumbered those living and working in other countries, such as South Korea, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Northern Ireland.
“Talking about increasing the voter turnout rate in the upcoming elections, I think we need to ensure that our citizens, especially students studying in Indonesia, also participate in the upcoming general elections,” Nascimento said at the National Parliament, today.
He pointed out that there are no dual citizens for Indonesian people, saying, therefore, using passports to vote could be a solution.
“I would like to urge the government to take my suggestion into consideration in order to establish voting centers in Indonesia to allow our citizens to participate in the upcoming elections,” he said.
Earlier, the President of the National Election Commission (NEC), Jose Belo revealed that the electoral bodies would not realize voting centers in Indonesia for the parliamentary elections.
According to data from the Education Attaché Office, more than 1700 Timorese citizens are currently studying in Indonesia.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
