Dili, September 15, 2025 (Média Democracia) – In relation to the demonstration carried out by students from the National University of Timor-Leste, three parliamentary benches issued a press statement announcing their “Position from the CNRT, PD, and KHUNTO Benches regarding the acquisition of vehicles for the National Parliament, calling for the cancellation of such purchases.” The statement was delivered at the National Parliament compound in Dili this Monday.
In the statement presented by CNRT Bench’s Duarte Nunes, PD Bench’s Armando do Santos Lopes, and KHUNTO Bench’s Antonio Verdial de Sousa, they expressed the wish to hold this press conference to clarify to the general public the position of the Government Benches regarding the decision to purchase cars for the National Parliament.
“The Constitution of the Republic (RDTL) grants three important powers to Members of Parliament: a) to legislate, b) to exercise oversight over governmental acts, and c) to make political decisions for the State and the Nation. The Statute of Deputies, approved during the First Legislature in 2004, defines the facilities to be provided to MPs to enable them to carry out their parliamentary mission, including adequate transportation.” Statement by CNRT Bench’s Duarte Nunes, PD Bench’s Armando do Santos Lopes, and KHUNTO Bench’s Antonio Verdial de Sousa.
The CNRT, PD, and KHUNTO Benches highlighted the concerns of the 65 MPs in the Sixth Legislature regarding the condition of the vehicles currently used by MPs for their duties, as well as complaints from the Parliamentary Secretariat about operational difficulties in managing the vehicles to meet MPs’ transportation needs, and about the high maintenance costs of the existing fleet.
“After carefully analyzing these circumstances, the CNRT, PD, and KHUNTO Benches agreed to allocate funds for the acquisition of vehicles for the National Parliament in the 2025 General State Budget (OJE), which was approved in November 2024, in order to address the issues outlined in points 2 and 3 of this press statement.” Added CNRT Bench’s Duarte Nunes, PD Bench’s Armando do Santos Lopes, and KHUNTO Bench’s Antonio Verdial de Sousa.
The CNRT, PD, and KHUNTO Benches acknowledged that the decision to purchase vehicles did not reflect the concerns of the public. They stressed that the decision was made solely to meet the needs of the 65 MPs and to respond to the difficulties faced by the National Parliament Secretariat. They also noted that this decision has sparked public concern, and in the end, other parties have exploited it as political gain, stirring instability in the country.
“For this reason, after considering all these factors, the CNRT, PD, and KHUNTO Benches analyzed the controversy surrounding the vehicle purchase and observed that some MPs, directly or indirectly, exploited the situation as political leverage for their partisan and group interests, manipulating public sentiment to create instability in our country.” Declared CNRT Bench’s Duarte Nunes, PD Bench’s Armando do Santos Lopes, and KHUNTO Bench’s Antonio Verdial de Sousa.
Through this press statement, the benches also recognized the aspirations of the student movement as well as of the people. Therefore, the CNRT, PD, and KHUNTO Benches decided to request the National Parliament to cancel the entire process of vehicle acquisition for MPs.
Report: Domingas
Photo: Domingas