Tribunal de Recurso declara Fundo de Estabilização Económica inconstitucional

Macau, China, 14 Nov (Lusa) - O Tribunal de Recurso de Timor-Leste declarou inconstitucional o Fundo de Estabilização Económica, uma rubrica do Orçamento de Estado aprovada pelo Parlamento sem plano de despesa, disse hoje à agência Lusa Mari Alkatiri.

Contactado telefonicamente a partir de Macau, o líder da Fretilin explicou que o Tribunal de Recurso, que tem poderes de fiscalização constitucional, declarou a “inconstitucionalidade” do Fundo além de classificar também de “ilegal” a transferência do Fundo do Petróleo acima do permitido.

“Este fundo, uma espécie de ‘saco azul’ de 240 milhões de dólares para o Governo utilizar como bem entendesse, foi criado com transferências acima do permitido pela Lei que regula o Fundo de Petróleo”, disse Mari Alkatiri.

As transferências do Fundo de Petróleo de Timor-Leste estão reguladas em norma própria, existindo uma fórmula de cálculo a ser aplicada para garantir a sustentabilidade futura da reserva financeira.

Mari Alkatiri explicou também que o Tribunal “foi generoso” aceitando todas as despesas já efectuadas pelo Executivo de Xanana Gusmão, uma decisão que deixa preocupada a oposição.

“É preciso ter cuidado para que o Governo não comece a inventar recibos com datas anteriores para contornar a decisão do Tribunal”, disse Alkatiri ao sustentar também que “toda a atenção está agora centrada nesse detalhe”.

“Se o fizerem é crime e terão de responder criminalmente. Se não for agora será quando houver mudança de Governo”, avisa.

Mari Alkatiri acrescentou ainda que a decisão do Tribunal coloca o Governo em crise porque “se tinha planos para gastar o dinheiro não o vai poder fazer e isso precipita uma decisão de realizar novas eleições”.

O Orçamento rectificativo já tinha sido criticado por organizações internacionais e deixado em alerta o Fundo Monetário Internacional devido ao aumento da despesa em 122 por cento face ao documento original, gastos potenciados pela criação e aumento de subsídios e vencimentos, construção de uma central de fuel óleo e rede de distribuição eléctrica.

A própria promulgação do Orçamento por parte do Gabinete de Ramos Horta esteve envolta em polémica já que o chefe de Estado tinha levantado dúvidas sobre o Fundo de Estabilização Económica.

Ramos Horta queria esperar pela decisão do Tribunal de Recurso mas antes de deixar Díli para uma visita a Pequim assinou o Orçamento rectificativo para o caso do Tribunal o declarar constitucional.

O documento acabaria, no entanto por ser enviado para publicação no primeiro dia de ausência de Horta do país, validando a proposta aprovada no parlamento.

Em Dezembro de 2007, o Parlamento timorense aprovou o Orçamento de 2008 no valor de 347,5 milhões de dólares norte-americanos e a nova proposta apresentada no final de Junho aumentava as provisões orçamentais para o mesmo ano num total de 773,3 milhões de dólares.

A rectificação no Orçamento significava um aumento de 425,6 milhões de dólares nos gastos públicos para este ano em relação ao Orçamento aprovado no final de 2007.

Dos 773,3 milhões de dólares, 686,8 milhões de dólares eram financiados por transferências do Fundo Petrolífero.

JCS/PRM.
Lusa/fim

Landmark court ruling creates budget crisis for Gusmão government

FRENTE REVOLUCIONÁRIA DO TIMOR-LESTE INDEPENDENTE
FRETILIN
Media Release
Dili, November 14, 2008

Yesterday's Court of Appeal decision outlawing the Gusmão-led government's transfer of US$390 million from the national petroleum fund to government coffers has created an institutional crisis in Timor-Leste because the government no longer has any money to spend from the budget, FRETILIN said today.

The unanimous Court of Appeal decision of three judges ruled that the government's creation of the Economic Stabilization Fund and the withdrawal of US$390 million from the Petroleum Fund breached the Constitution and the Petroleum Fund Law.

FRETILIN's leader in the National Parliament, Aniceto Guterres, said today: "FRETILIN, its political allies and Timorese civil society warned the Gusmão-led AMP government many times before and during the debate on the supplementary budget that the proposed withdrawal from the petroleum fund was unconstitutional but they ignored our advice.

"The people of Timor-Leste now await a prompt, appropriate and law-abiding response from this government and its parliamentary allies to a constitutional, institutional and financial crisis of their own making.

"The Court of Appeal decision today means that the government budget for the whole for 2008 is US$360 million, or US$390 million less than the US$773.4 million it assumed was previously available.

"The budget execution report issued by the government for the three quarters ending September showed the government claimed at that stage it had already spent more than US$455 million this year, including US$60 million from the US$390 million which the Court declared unconstitutional.

"The government now only has money to provide some community services and pay some civil servants until the budget for 2009 is approved.

"The Court decision also prohibits the government from accessing Petroleum Fund money to pay for spending on budgeted government contracts awarded without a lawful and transparent tender process.

"This includes the environmentally devastating heavy oil power station which was rejected by a majority of members of parliament, and the naval patrol boats it has ordered.

"The government also cannot spend any more money from the Economic Stabilization Fund as the fund was declared to be unconstitutional."

Aniceto Guterres said that even before FRETILIN received notification of the Court's decision, certain members of the government were trying to use illegal means to continue spending money in violation of the Court's decision.

Guterres said: "Government ministers, public servants and international advisers could face prosecution for devising schemes, including the backdating of receipts and contracts, to breach the Court's decision."

For information contact: José Teixeira M.P. on +670 728 7080

Timor-Leste National Alliance for an International Tribunal (ANTI)

Dear Friends in ANTI,

On behalf of the IKOHI and the victims and relatives of victims of human rights violation in Indonesia within IKOHI, I would like to utter and express our support and solidarity for those still struggling for truth and justice.

We believe that despite the politics of forgetting that your government embraces, your spirits and the spirits of the victims who are still struggling will be flame of the struggle for truth, justice, liberty and peace not only in your country, but also in our country Indonesia.

We in Indonesia are also struggling for the resolution of the case of disappearances of pro democracy activists in 1997/1998. Even today, November 13, we are also commemorating the Semanggi event, the shooting of students in Semanggi, Jakarta 9 years ago.

So lets hand in hand in this struggle, because it is only when we are united that we will be able to overcome.

"We still remember, never forget, the Santa Cruz Massacre!"
Wiji Thukul once said:

Di hati rakyatmu,
tersebut namamu selalu
di hatiku
aku penyair mendirikan tugu
meneruskan pekik salammu
"a luta continua."

kita tidak sendirian
kita satu jalan
tujuan kita satu ibu:pembebasan!


In solidarity,

Mugiyanto
Ikatan Keluarga Orang Hilang Indonesia - IKOHI
Indonesian Association of Families of the Disappeared
A member organization of the Asian Federation against Involuntary Disappearances - AFAD
Jl. Kalasan Dalam No. 5, Pegangsaan, Jakarta Pusat 10320
Telp/Fax: +62-21-3157915
Email: kembalikan@yahoo.com, Web: www.ikohi.blogspot.com
INDONESIA

Timor-Leste National Alliance for an International Tribunal (ANTI)
Secretariate National NGO Forum, Caicoli, Dili, Timor-Leste
Telephone +670-728-4602

Press Release

Chega Debate, Points to the Cemetery Where the Santa Cruz Massacre Occurred,
Judge the Perpetrators of the Crimes Now ….!!!

Today we are all thinking back on the major event which took place 17 years ago, thinking anew about an event with significant impact for our youth and which woke up the international community. We know that our independence was not a gift from the invading nation not from the international community, rather our independence came from all our people’s sacrifices, and the sacrifices of those who gave their lives for the liberty of our country. Since the liberation of our country, in the past eight years the victims of the Santa Cruz massacre have yet to achieve truth or justice, those responsible from the invading Indonesian military who committed grave crimes have yet to be brought before a court and judged. Worse yet, our leaders in Timor-Leste have launched cheap propaganda claiming we must forget our past suffering because Timor-Leste no longer needs justice.

Deputies in the National Parliament currently prioritize discussion on the purchase of luxury cars for their use rather than give importance to the Chega Report. As families of the victims, we will never forget and remain sad today due to the loss of so many loved ones taken from us. Even sadder because until today we do not know where our loved ones were buried; where are the remains of those who gave their lives on that day? Why have they not only lost their lives, but also their bodies have disappeared? Because of this, the victims’ families will not be silent but continue to call for those who took the lives of our loved ones to take responsibility for their action. We are independent but still searching for the truth and justice to satisfy those of us who lost so many of our loved ones. Consequently, ANTI makes the following demands:

We demand the Indonesian Government reveal where those killed in the Santa Cruz Massacre of November 12, 1991 are buried as truth telling to the victims’ families.

We demand the Timor-Leste National Parliament give priority to discussing the CAVR or Chega Report in November 2008!

We demand the governments of Timor-Leste and Indonesia judge, in a court of law that is impartial and just, the perpetrators of the crimes of the Santa Cruz Massacre as a means to end the chain of impunity in Timor-Leste and Indonesia .

We demand the United Nations take the perpetrators of the Santa Cruz Massacre before an international tribunal as a step towards fulfilling the process of democratization, reconciliation and friendship between Indonesia and Timor-Leste.

We demand that the government of Timor-Leste give priority to justice, to prevent the growing impunity in our country.

If there is no justice, reconciliation is not viable;
If there is not truth, democracy is not viable;
Peace and development will remain illusive throughout our country if justice does not exist!