DILI, 11 march 2022 (TATOLI) – The Court of Appeals has officially decided Timor-Leste’s team to realize the presidential election for Timorese citizens living in Australia.
The decision came after two of the candidates to the Presidential Election, Francisco Guterres ‘Lu Olo’ and Jose Ramos Horta presented their appeal to the Court of Appeal, demanding an official decision to realize the presidential election in Australia.
Earlier this week, both candidates presented their appeals to the Court of Appeal through a meeting held at the office of the National Electoral Commission of Timor-Leste (CNE) to annul the decision of the CNE released last week to not hold the presidential election for Timorese residents in Australia.
“We received the appeals of the two candidates, requesting the Court of Appeal to annul CNE’s decision as it breached the Constitution,” President of the Court of Appeal, Deolindo dos Santos made the comments in a press conference, held in Dili, yesterday.
He said CNE’s decision to not hold the presidential election for Timorese people residing in Australia was breaching the Constitution.
“After analyzing the appeals of the candidates, we finally reach a conclusion to annul CNE’s decision. As we know that this decision is against the Constitution,” he stressed.
According to article 47 of the National Constitution of Timor-Leste: 1) Every citizen over the age of seventeen has the right to vote and to be elected 2) The exercise of the right to vote is personal and constitutes a civic duty.
The Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration (STAE) and National Electoral Commission of Timor-Leste (CNE) and the candidates to the presidential election have agreed earlier this week to accept the decision of the Court of Appeal on the implementation of the presidential election for Timorese citizens residing in Australia.
The Court of Appeal’s decision allowed the team made up of the Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration (STAE), the National Electoral Commission of Timor-Leste (CNE), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation to conduct the presidential election for Timorese living and working in Australia.
The Court of Appeal has notified the STAE, CNE, and MNEK to allow the election for Timorese people in Australia to exercise their democratic right by casting their votes on march 19 presidential election.
Earlier this week, the Director-General of the Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration (STAE), Acilino Manuel Branco informed the team that they had prepared to depart for Australia on march 14 to conduct the election.
Journalist: Natalino Costa
Editor: Florencio Miranda Ximenes/Rafy Belo
Translator: Filomeno Martins
