DILI, 26 february 2024 (TATOLI) – Last week, a book titled “Que modelo de municipalisimo para Timor-Leste,” (What model of municipalism for Timor-Leste) was launched at the library of the Jorge Sampaio Cultural Centre of the Portuguese Embassy in Dili. The book was written by António Rodrigues based on the author’s doctoral thesis on decentralization in Timor-Leste.
According to António Rodrigues, the aim of the study was to “try to understand the influence of Timor-Leste ancestral traditions and powers, associated with the current social and political reality, and which model of municipalities is best suited to the reality of Timor-Leste to respect the pluralism and socio-cultural heterogeneity of the country’s various regions.”
José Ramos Horta, the current President of the Republic, who wrote the preface of the book said that this is the culmination of a long process that dates back to the government’s first efforts to decentralize the administration division in Timor-Leste.
“It has not been easy to reach a broad consensus on which model of municipalism can best serve the particularities and idiosyncrasies of our people. The debate has been long, exhaustive, and in-depth. However, it has not always been conclusive and has not always brought together visions and sensitivities, which has resulted in the successive postponement of structural measures that should already be reflected in an improvement in people’s lives. It is in this sense that this book is so pertinent and timely,” Horta wrote.
António Rodrigues was born in Torres Novas in 1955. He holds a PhD in Intercultural Relations from the Universidade Aberta in Lisbon with the thesis, “Que modelo de municipalismo para Timor-Leste?” He also holds a degree in History from the same university and a Master’s in Intercultural Relations with the thesis “Municípios em Timor-Leste, uma segunda independência”.
He served as the Mayor of Torres Novas from 1994 to 2013 and of the Médio Tejo Intermunicipal Community from 2009 to 2013. Between 2009 and 2013 he was a member of the Executive Board of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities with responsibility for Lusophony and International Relations.
Journalist: Jose Belarmino de Sa
Editor: Filomeno Martins