Lu Olo: “I start out as a party’s candidate, to become the President of the Republic for all of the people”.

STATEMENT BY FRANCISCO GUTERRES LU OLO

CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT 

OF THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF TIMOR-LESTE

PRESS CONFERENCE

Dili, 13 January 2012

My fellow Timorese; people of Timor-Leste.

We have just heard the President of the Republic, Dr Jose Ramos-Horta, announce the election date and calendar to present candidates for the President of the Republic for the period of 2012-2017.

I declared last month (December 15) that I would publically announce my official candidacy after the President’s formal announcement and the opening of the period to present names of candidates.  

Yesterday, I informed FRETILIN’s National Policy Commission meeting that I would declare my candidacy for President of the Republic following the current President’s announcement of the election calendar. 

That moment is here and now!

I, Francisco Guterres Lu Olo, declare that I will present my candidacy for the President of the Republic as per the law and National Election Commission’s regulations.

I am honored and was motivated to be a candidate for the Presidency because of the tremendous encouragement I have received from the FRETILIN cadres and militants, many of my fellow veterans and Timorese citizens in general. This support comes, not just from my party, but from many fellow Timorese from different political parties.

I also declare that prior to presenting my official candidacy, I will temporarily hand over my FRETILIN Party President functions to the Secretary-General of FRETILIN, Dr Mari Alkatiri.

If I am elected President of the Republic, I will seek the temporary suspension of my position as FRETILIN Party President for the duration of my term as President in order to serve all the people of Timor-Leste with complete impartiality.  As per FRETILIN statutes, the FRETILIN Secretary-General would then assume the function of President on an interim basis to the end of the term of my presidency.

For all of my life, I have always been ready to receive the trust of our people and to serve and to lead them.  Indeed I have done this from 1974 to today.

From the beginning FRETILIN fought for all the Maubere people.  Many FRETILIN cadres and militants gave their lives to serve the people.  

For this reason I want to serve once again all of my fellow Timorese, all of the people.  And, for this reason even though I am a party’s candidate, I promise that I will fulfill my role as President for all of the people. 

I repeat, “I start out as a party’s candidate, to become the President of the Republic for all of the people”. 

My fellow Timorese, today we face a critical moment in our nation’s democratic and constitutional life.

My mission is to strengthen our democracy.  My mission is to strengthen our sense of constitutionality and our democratic state based on the rule of law.

I will seek to solidify the people’s and the nation’s sovereignty. I will strengthen peace and stability in our midst so that people will live in enduring peace and stability.

As President of the Republic, I will be a Head of State who respects the Constitution and the law. 

I will not act as opposition to the government or parliament.

I will respect the independence of the courts and strengthen justice.

As President I will respect the opposition and put forward policies to include all of the Timorese people in the process of strengthening peace, stability and development.

From my youth to this day, I have had one aspiration only: to serve the people of Timor-Leste, the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, and FRETILIN.

This I have done from 1974 to 1999 in the struggle for national liberation among the people.

This I have done from 2001 to 2002 as the President of the Constituent Assembly which wrote the Timor-Leste Democratic Republic’s Constitution in use today.

This I have done from 2002 to 2007 as a Deputy and President of the National Parliament.  The parliament established the foundations for the state of Timor-Leste through laws, international treaties and annual state budgets that reinforced our state’s capacity to develop social and economic policies for our future.

This is what I have done as a member of FRETILIN from 1974 to today.

This is what I will do in future, using the knowledge I’ve gained over the last six years of legal study, and the right to practice law that will gain this year.  Because I know what it is to live with injustice, I want to further strengthen justice for us all.

As President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, I will give all my efforts to strengthen democracy, peace and stability so our people can benefit from our country’s development.

Good evening and a warm embrace to you all.

Thank you all for your attention.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT JOSE TEIXEIRA ON +670 728 7080