Timor
Leste needs a saviour. Its economy is in ruin; unemployment rising; poverty
rampant and corruption continues as the elderly dictators continue to destroy a
great tiny nation.
Enter
Jose Ramos Horta. Whilst Horta’s has declared he will not run for President if
‘Lu’Olo’ runs the Timorese need him to step up… again.
Since
leaving the Presidency in 2011, Horta has displayed to the world he is not only
a great diplomat, but also a leader of world standing.
Horta
is not like Xanana Gusmao, who has spent the past 10 years in high office
feathering the beds and pockets of relatives; he is not like Mari Alkatiri who
in recent years has joined with Gusmao to sell out the Timorese for thirty
pieces of silver; nor is he like current PM Rui Maria de Araújo he
became Gusmao’s “puppet” abandoning all that he stood for when he was a key
Fretilin member.
Timor
Leste is in serious trouble. Ties to the US dollar its oil wealth has
plummeted.
The
latest Global Edge report is very sad reading for Timor Leste. Country
risk is now an “E” - "the highest-risk political and economic
situation and the most difficult business environment. Corporate default
is highly likely.”
Global
Edge points to the following factors that have not been addressed by
governments over the past decade:
- Vulnerability
to natural disasters (landslides, strong winds, flooding)
- Underdeveloped
infrastructures
- Shortage
of human capital
- Heavy
dependence on oil income (98% of exports)
- Nearly
half of the population living below the poverty threshold
- High
youth unemployment rate (40 %)
- Weak
bank intermediation
Current
PM Araújo is not up to the task as he has shown no independence or
break away from the abominable Gusmao years of government.
PM Araújo is
like a TV Comedy series. Araújo has had the same impact on Timor Leste. He
has knocked the economy for a six through inaction. Every move
PM Araújo makes he must report back to his master and puppeteer
Xanana Gusmao. A comedy but no one is laughing...
That's
no way to run a country and hence the ratings agencies view on Timor Leste
being a third world country sliding into further disaster.
The
state of Timor Leste's finances lays at the feet of several Gusmao government's
and his hand picked finance minister Emilia Pires. Gusmao made this critical
decision by appointing Pires and it has proven to be a complete failure. Timor
Leste’s wealth has gone backwards as corruption and nepotism has reigned
supreme. It must also be remembered that between 2007 to now Pires and Gusmao
solely controlled the purse strings of Timor Leste. The pair signed off on
contracts that made both their families incredibly rich. It is solely the fault
of Pires and Gusmao, and their bevy of cronies who have ensured Timor Leste
languishes as a third world nation.
In
recent weeks Gusmao's favourite girl Emilia has been convicted of corruption
and sentenced to jail. However, in typical Timor Leste fashion Pires has
flown the coup. She was allowed to flee the country before sentencing thanks to
the current Araújo government. I'm sure she sent a Xmas card or two to her old
cronies for allowing her to escape the courts wrath. The reason she was allowed
to escape is that she has the evidence that would convict other former corrupt
politicians. She must fear for her safety?
Thank
you PM Araújo. Thank you Xanana - great leader of a starving nation; thank
you Emilia Pires and all the other despot cronies who have lied to and mislead
the Timor Leste people since independence.
For
Timor Leste to have a future former President Jose Ramos Horta must step up
again as he has done in the past for the nation and people he loves so much.
Horta
must again for become President to put things right and ensure Timor Leste does
not fall off the edge as Nauru did when their fortunes where squandered by
incompetent and thieving leaders.
Current
Timor Leste President Taur Matan Ruak. is an honest man. He has been a good
President and has fought the wrongs of Gusmao and Alkatiri comparing them
to thieving Indonesian leaders like Suharto.
TMR
will run for Prime Minister in 2017 and with the right support from the people
- especially the young educated people of Timor Leste - should win.
TMR
supports Horta to come back and run and win the Presidency.
The
combination of TMR as PM; and a world leader of the likes of JRH as President
could be the start of a new beginning for Timor Leste. Both are incorruptible,
both have Timor Leste's best interests at heart; both care about the future of
the young Timorese currently living in poverty and facing rising unemployment
as the ruling political elite prosper from stealing from the people.
If
Gusmao’s cronies win the next election there is little doubt Timor Leste will
go broke and become yet another island nation destroyed by the self interests
of a very few. For the corrupt many have Australian or Portuguese citizenship
and can escape the disaster they have created.
The
people of Timor Leste need to stand together with Horta and TMR and fight a
common evil; an evil in the form of Xanana Gusmao and his puppets.
It’s
time.
