DILI, Sept. 20, Kyodo - U.N.-administered East Timor’s transitional government Thursday swore a new cabinet comprised mostly of figures from a long-established political party that won last month’s election.
U.N. Transitional Administrator in East Timor Sergio Vieira de Mello, announcing the lineup, said the cabinet has 10 ministers, three secretaries of state and seven vice ministers.
It consists of nine representatives from the Revolutionary Front for the Liberation of East Timor (Fretilin), two members of the Democratic Party, Fretilin’s closest rival, and nine members not affiliated with any party.
De Mello said they were selected “not on the basis of party nominations but on the basis of their individual competence.”
The nine politically independent figures in the cabinet, he said, were chosen “because of their proven sectoral expertise and their demonstrated dedication and patriotism with as broad a geographical representation as was possible.”
In the Aug. 30 election for the Constituent Assembly, Fretilin, the party that spearheaded East Timor’s 24-year armed resistance against Indonesia, garnered 57.3% of the vote to secure 55 seats in the 88-seat body. The Democratic Party won seven seats.
Among the cabinet members from Fretilin are Chief Minister and Economy and Development Minister Mari Alkatiri, Justice Minister Ana Maria da Silva Pinto, and Internal Administration Minister Antoninho Bianco.
They also include Secretary of State of the Council of Ministers Gregorio Ferreira de Sousa and Secretary of State for Natural and Mineral Resources Egidio Jesus.
While Alkatiri leads the transitional government, it is still under the ultimate authority of de Mello pending full independence sometime next year.
The independents include Senior Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Jose Ramos-Horta and Finance Minister Fernanda Mesquita Borges.
The Democratic Party’s members in the cabinet are Secretary of State for Labor and Solidarity Fernando de Araujo and Vice Minister for Internal Administration Joao Soares Martins.
Despite failing to accommodate other parties in his cabinet, Alkatiri said national unity is essential “for the future success of our country.”
“National unity and, consequently, stability will not be guaranteed by a formal agreement between the leadership of parties or by appointing party leaders to government posts,” he said. “National unity can only ensured if it is entrenched in every strata and sector of our society.”
Alkatiri also stressed the importance of normalizing relations with neighboring Indonesia.
“The reconciliation process is decisive and has an immense influence in reinforcing national cohesion,” he said.
The following is the lineup of the new cabinet of East Timor’s transitional government:
UNITED NATIONS - NATIONS UNIES
UNTAET
United Nations Transitional
Administration in East Timor
SECOND TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT
OF EAST TIMOR
Dr. Mari Bin Amude Alkatiri, Fretilin
Chief Minister & Minister of Economy
and Development
Senior Minister for
Jose Ramos-Horta (I)
Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
Minister for Justice Ana Maria Pessoa Pereira da Silva Pinto (F)
Minister for Finance Fernanda Mesquita Borges (I)
Minister for Internal
Antoninho Bianco (F)
Administration
Minister for Health Rui Maria de Araujo (I)
Minister for Public Works
Cesar Vital Moreira (F)
and Water
Minister for Transport and
Ovidio de Jesus Amaral (F)
Communications
Minister for Education,
Armindo Maia (I)
Culture and Youth
Minister for Agriculture
Estanislau Aleixo da Silva (F)
and Fisheries
Secretary of State for
Arsenio Paixao Bano (I)
Labor and Solidarity
Vice Minister for Foreign
Fernando de Araujo (PD)
Affairs and Cooperation
Vice Minister for Foreign
Jorge da Conceicao Teme (I)
Affairs and Cooperation
Vice Minister for Justice Domingos Maria Sarmento (I)
Vice Minister for Finance Arlindo Rangel da Cruz (F)
Vice Minister for Internal
Ilda Maria da Conceicao (I)
Administration
Vice Minister for Health Joao Soares Martins (PD)
Vice Minister for
Roque Felix de Jesus Rodrigues (I)
Education, Culture and Youth
Secretary of State of the
Gregorio Jose da Conceicao Ferreira de Sousa (F)
Council of Ministers
Secretary of State for
Egidio de Jesus (F)
Natural and Mineral Resources
(F stands for Fretilin, I for Independent, PD for Democratic Party)