“I don’t have dreams of becoming first president. The incoming president will be chosen by the party that wins the general election,” said Xanana when he answered questions at the CPD-RDTL Congress in Dili.
In a calm manner, Xanana said criticism has been heaped upon him in connection with the change of name of Falintil to FDTL (National Defense Forces), the recruitment of FDTL forces, and the presence of CNRT in the country’s political system.
Xanana told the CPD-RDTL Congress that he had relinquished his Falintil commander-in-chief position to Brigadier-General Taur Matan Ruak, who is now FDTL Commander.
Answering questions on Falintil’s involvement in business, Xanana said:
“Most of the big businesses are fixing prices and making things expensive
for the smaller people. So Falintil will sell things at lower prices and
make them affordable for the poor.”
But Xanana is not Jesus. Xanana is an ordinary man like all of us and cannot work miracles. He too has his own human limitations.
But we must learn from Xanana advice. He has stressed that Timor Lorosae must be a respected country free from external threats and violence.
Xanana, at the moment, is an informal leader who is in no position to make political decisions that will bind the people.”
Feb 23 ST: Xanana has opportunity
to be Timor Lorosae president News from WTimor
"For years the people of Timor Leste experienced and felt a harsh leadership
style that frightened them. Now they are free, so they need a figure like
Xanana who will give them back their freedom that has disappeared for so
long." Santino O. Baros, manager, HMTOP NGO (Uniting Timor Lorosae Intellectuals
for Development)
Feb 14 STL: Presidential Issue:
Fretilin To Nominate Xanana News from ETimor
“Regardless of whether the party has its own candidate or not, we have
decided that Xanana be Timor Lorosae’s first president when the country
becomes independent,” Lu-Olo, General Coordinator of Fretilin
Feb 12 FRETILIN: Open Letter
to CNRT's President Letter
"I believe that the FRETILIN is ready to rule our country and
it is necessary, by my opinion, that the Timorese people elect their constituent
assembly made-up of all Timorese political parties. Our people need a super-parties
man, and you can play this role, as well as Nelson Mandela did in
South Africa. The discussion between the political parties is positive
: you have the prestige and the authority to enforce the rules of the Carta
Magna." David Dias Quintas Corona, FRETILIN'S Rep. for Italy
Feb 1 Xanana: Address at Transition
Ceremony Of Falintil Speech
"During the most difficult period of the resistance struggle, when
our faith in victory was at its lowest, I made an oath to those who had
been killed and before the handful of men who believed in me, that I would
never accept any reward for I was only working in the service of an ideal
shared by us all, nor would I ever foster ambition for an office or position,
for I was not struggling for that reason. I hereby declare that I will
abide by this sacred oath made to the guerrilla fighters, to those who
died and to those who survived and that I will keep the promise recently
made to the CNRT/CN cadres! ... My capacity is extremely limited and I
urge you all not to overvalue attributes that I do not even possess. I
am and will continue to be aware of my responsibility as a common citizen,
equal to every other citizen, and will not change in my decision to not
participate in the future political life of the country." Xanana
Gusmao, President, CNRT/CN