DILI, march 31, (TATOLI) – United Nations Development Program (UNDP), National Electoral Commission (CNE) and Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration (STAE) and representatives of political parties carried out an electoral ink confirmation testing for upcoming parliamentary elections, to be held on 21 May 2023.
The country resident representative of UNDP, Munkhtuya Altangerel, said that indelible ink is very important to the Timorese State for the implementation of this election.
“UNDP has tested the electoral ink by establishing a protocol before handing it over to Timor-Leste’s Election Management bodies. The first test confirmed the required 25 percent of silver nitrate in the ink. The finger stain was tested over 72 hours for removal with water, soap, alcohol, liquid beach, and nail polish remover,’’ The country resident representative of UNDP, Munkhtuya Altangerel said in remarks, at the CNE meeting room, Colmera, thusday.
She added the ink confirmation the stain was completely visible on the nail cuticle and fingertip, in line with international standards.
The President of the National Elections Commission, José Belo revealed that the indelible ink for the parliamentary elections is confirmed for this election.
He added that the indelible ink is to ensure the quality, accounting, and transparency to implement this election.
The president also stressed that this approval will avoid distrust between electoral bodies and political parties.
“The display of indelible ink before representatives of political parties and electoral bodies is an act to ensure transparency and impartiality in the country”, he said
In the same place, the Director General of STAE, Acilino Branco, informed that “the indelible ink will guarantee the quality of this election regarding transparency and the dignity of this election.
“The ink test will avoid speculation by the population of this election regarding irregularity”, he said.
Mr. Bronco informed the indelible ink for the parliamentary elections will arrive in Timor-Leste on April 12th.
Political parties have expressed that they are satisfied with the indelible ink test and have no rejection from representatives.
The representative explained that this ink is used to make a mark on the voter’s index finger when going to vote, to guarantee electoral transparency, and to strengthen the right to vote and democracy.
Representatives of political parties that conducted the test are the National Congress of Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT), Kmanek Haburas Unidade Timor Oan (KHUNTO), Timorese Socialist Party (PST), and Popular Liberation Party (PLP), including the two representatives of electoral bodies.
It should be recalled that in the last presidential elections around 360 thousand dollars were spent on the acquisition of indelible ink, which does not include transport to the polling stations.
The financing agreement for the procurement of electoral ink was made between the Government of Timor-Leste and UNDP worth 394,000 USD was provided to procure 10,000 bottles of electoral indelible ink. UNDP is fully responsible for procuring ink from Denmark, a Europe country
Journalist: José Belarmino De Sá
Editor: Nelia B.
