DILI, 27 june 2023 (TATOLI) – The National Parliament has completed the composition of the parliamentary benches of the five political parties, namely National Congress for the Reconstruction of Timor-Leste (CNRT), the Revolutionary Front of Independent East Timor (FRETÍLIN), the Democratic Party (PD), the Kmanek Haburas National Unity Party Timor Oan (KHUNTO) and the People’s Liberation Party (PLP).
The Secretary of the National Parliament, Virginia Ana Belo, said that National Parliament has already received official letters from the five political parties regarding the appointment of the heads of parliamentary benches.
“Each political party has already nominated the leaders of the parliamentary benches for the next five years,” Belo said in the National Parliament today.
The head of the CNRT bench is Duarte Nunes, and his two deputies are Patrocínio Fernandes and Lucia Taeki.
The head of the FRETILIN bench is Aniceto Guterres, and his two deputies are David Ximenes Mandati and Maria Angelica Rangel.
The head of the PD bench is António da Conceição “Kalohan” and his deputy is Sancha Margarida Tilman.
The head of the KHUNTO bench is Olinda Guterres and her two deputies are António Verdial de Sousa and António Ferreira.
The head of the PLP bench is Angelina Sarmento Freitas, and her two deputies are Helder Freitas and Abel dos Santos.
According to Article 11 of Parliament Procedure; 1) Members of Parliament elected on party or coalition party lists may constitute parliamentary benches, regardless of the existence of pre-electoral coalitions of parties.
Last week, the new 65 MPs were sworn in, with MP Maria Fernanda Lay, from the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT), elected as the new president of the National Parliament.
Lay was officially announced as the first Timorese female House Speaker to lead the National Parliament for the period 2023-2028.
Lay was proposed as the sole candidate for the post of house speaker by the coalition parties – CNRT and PD.
The new 65 Members of Parliament, Monday (26/06) elected the two vice presidents of the National Parliament, Maria Teresinha Viegas from the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) and Alexandrino Afonso Nunes from the Democratic Party (PD).
The National Parliament also elected the Secretary of National Parliament, Virginia Ana Belo from CNRT, and her two deputies, namely Maria Teresinha da Silva Gusmão from PD and Bendita Moniz Magno from CNRT.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
