DILI, 22 june 2022 (TATOLI) – Timor-Leste’s new parliament was sworn in today after parliamentary elections last month, with MP Maria Fernanda Lay, from the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT), elected as the new president of the National Parliament.
The 65-seat chamber kicked off its first plenary session, today, in which Maria Fernanda Lay began exercising her new duties as house speaker for the period 2023 to 2028.
The swearing ceremony was presided over by the outgoing President of Parliament, Aniceto Longuinhos Guterres Lopes.
Fernanda Lay was elected as the new speaker with 45 votes in favor, zero against, 19 abstentions, and one blank.
“Today, I announce that Maria Fernanda Lay has been elected as the new Speaker of the National Parliament. She is the first woman to be elected House Speaker and I wish to congratulate Lay as our new House Speaker. My term as Speaker of the National Parliament ends today.”
Fernanda Lay has been proposed for the post of house speaker by the coalition parties – CNRT and PD – that will form the new Constitutional Government in the coming days.
According to the official results of the May 21 parliamentary elections, the 65 seats are made up of 31 seats of the CNRT party, 19 from the Revolutionary Front of Independent Timor-Leste (Fretilin), six from the Democratic Party (PD), five from Kmanek Haburas Unidade Nasional Timor Oan (KHUNTO) and four from the People’s Liberation Party (PLP).
In his opening speech at the swearing-in ceremony of the new deputies, Guterres said: “Today, I declare the first plenary session of the VI National Parliament and the end of the V Parliament’s mandate.”
“The mandate of the outgoing parliament comes to an end and gives way to the beginning of the new parliament. I congratulate the new parliament that begins to take office today and extend my best wishes for its mandate until 2028,” Guterres said.
He said that the electoral victory is the only way to govern in order to fulfill the campaign promises to ensure the welfare of the Timorese people.
Guterres commended the new parliamentary structure to lead the national parliament responsibly for the next five years: “Together we can, and indeed we will be together for our beloved country, Timor-Leste.
Guterres expressed his gratitude to the outgoing structure of the V Constitutional Parliament for its contribution and collaboration over the past five years: “I also would like to congratulate the Timorese people for their contribution to a peaceful and democratic election in the country.”
The newly elected Speaker of the House, in her speech at the handover ceremony, said: “It is a great responsibility given to the new parliament. It is a new phase for the government to dignify the Martyrs’ dreams of ensuring a good life for all Timorese.”
“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to CNRT President Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, its Secretary General Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, the PD party, and CNRT supporters for putting their trust in me,” Lay said.
The new IX Constitutional Government will be formed from a coalition between CNRT and PD in the coming days and will be sworn in by the President of the Republic, José Ramos Horta.
Below are the names of the 65 MPs who take office today:
CNRT: Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, Maria Terezinha Da Silva Viegas, Duarte Nunes, Aderito Hugo Da Costa, Maria Fernanda Lay, Jose Virgilio Rodrigues Ferreira, Luis Ximenes Caldeira, Maria Rosa Da Camara ‘Bisoi’, Domingos Lopes Lemos, Marcus Xavier, Bendita Moniz Magno, Oscar De Araujo, Firminio Taequi, Veneranda E.M.Lemos Martins, Domingos Da. C. Dos Santos, Rogerio Araujo Mendonça, Virginia Ana Belo, Gabriel Soares, Saul Salvador H.J. Amaral, Maria Gorumali Barreto, Patrocinio Fernandes Dos Reis, Virglio Pereira, Cedelizia Faria Dos Santos, Francisco Da Costa ‘Ikulay’, Albino Da Silva, Carminda Carlota, Ricardo Baptista, Anacleto Freitas, Alianca Da Conceição Araujo, Mateus Da Cruz De Carvalho and Domingos Augusto.
FRETILIN: Maria Angélica Rangel da Cruz dos Reis, Aniceto Longuinhos Guterres Lopes, Lidia Norberta dos Santos Martins, proposto pelo partido político FRETILIN, Antoninho Bianco, David Dias Ximenes, Helena Martins Belo, Joaquim dos Santos, Antonio Moniz Calau, Maria Anabela Sávio, Nurima Ribeiro Alkatiri, José da Cruz, Cristina Yuri Rebelo Dos S. Costa, Abilio Quintão Pinto, Florentino Ximenes da Costa “Sinarai”, and Mariquita Soares e Oscar Lima, Antonino Doutel Sarmento, Dario Madeira and Sancia Florencia Paixão Bano.
PD: Mariano Assanami Sabino Lopes, António da Conceição, Maria Teresa da Silva Gusmão, Alexandrino Afonso Nunes, Julio do Carmo and Sancha Margarida Tilman.
KHUNTO: Armanda Berta dos Santos, António Verdial de Sousa, António Verdial da S. Ferreira, Olinda Guterres and Luis Roberto da Silva.
PLP: Helder Freitas, Maria Angelina Lopes Sarmento, Adolfo Martins and Abel dos Santos.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
