Only four months after taking
office East Timor’s minority government is set to fall, possibly within days,
amid tense political manoeuvrings in Australia’s nearest north-western
neighbour.
Uncertainty about the make up of
a new government could delay ratification of a landmark agreement to develop
billions of dollars worth of oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea.
The government led by Mari
Alkatiri from the one-time revolutionary party Fretilin faces a second vote of
no confidence in its programs from a three-party opposition alliance which
holds a majority of seats in Parliament.
Alkatiri has attempted to delay
the vote, claiming opposition parties are attempting to stage a coup, as money
for government programs rapidly runs out.
Defeat in the vote would
automatically trigger the government’s fall.
President Francisco “Lu-Olo”
Guterres, who is aligned with Fretilin, could dissolve Parliament and call
fresh elections to be held within months.
Guterres could also invite the
second largest party – the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction led by
former president and prime minister Xanana Gusmao - to form government, with
two other smaller opposition parties.
Photo: 1 – Mari Alkatiri, Prime Minister of
Timor-Leste. 2 - Image manipulated by Timor Agora on
predictability of holding early elections 2018
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