Estou em Viena na Assembleia Parlamentar Conjunta ACP-UE, onde estão tambem deputados de Angola, Moçambique, Cabo Verde, S. Tomé e Principe e onde Timor Leste está representado pelo Embaixador em Bruxelas.
Amanhã debate-se aqui a situação em Timor Leste. Lamentavelmente, por compromisso inadiável em Bruxelas, não poderei estar presente. Estava, por isso, a preparar uma intervenção para ser lida em meu nome, quando me chegaram as dramáticas notícias de Timor Leste de que o Presidente Xanana Gusmão pedia a demissão do Primeiro Ministro Mari Alkatiri.
As notícias nada me surpreenderam, como se deduz de tudo o que escrevi e disse sobre esta crise, com a preocupação de não a agravar mais, nem precipitar acontecimentos inevitáveis. Mas há uma altura em que não se pode mais ignorar a realidade e poupar a responsabilidades quem as tem.
Por isso, aqui deixo um extracto do que amanhã será lido em meu nome aos colegas dos países ACP e UE:
"The situation in Timor Leste, however, can be corrected. We are not facing another case of a failed State, as it would suit those - and foremost some interested sectors in Australia, in the USA and elsewhere - who have always tried to control Timor-Leste for all sorts of strategic considerations, namely dominance over its important oil and gas resources.
In the same way they pushed Indonesia to invade Timor Leste back in 1975, those same interested foreign sectors never gave up creating trouble and dissension among the East Timorese, and the latest agreement on the sharing of the oil resources that the Prime Minister of Timor Leste successfully negotiated with Australia only made them more determined to retaliate, using any pretext to make Timor Leste appear as a failed State.
But as Ian Martin, the Head of UNAMET which helped the birth by referendum of Timor Leste in 1999 and who was sent there this month by the UNSG, said last week before the Security Council "This crisis is NOT about Timor Leste being a failed state. It's about a state that is only four years old and struggling to stand on its two feet and learn to practice democratic governance."
The problems in Timor Leste that this political crisis exposed can be corrected, I said earlier. Let me be clear: this crisis is not only fueled from abroad; many East Timorese with high responsibilities committed serious mistakes, thus playing into the hands of those foreign forces who wish to see Timor Leste independence fail.
The problems exposed in this crisis are actually already being corrected. And the role played by Timorese democratic elected institutions is being decisive in that correction process.
First and foremost the independence hero and democratic elected President of the Republic, Xanana Gusmão, has been given by the Government and the Parliament extraordinary powers to sort out the crisis and ensure security and defense of the people and the country. And, on behalf of the Government, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, now also Minister of Defense, Nobel Peace Prize Ramos Horta, has been actively engaging in dialogue with all parties to disarm civilians and disaffected police and military, resolve differences, identify their root causes.
All that is being done in strict respect for the constitutional order.
Also the Timor Leste judiciary is working: two days ago, the Public Prosecutor issued an arrest warrant for the former Minister of the Home Affairs, who has admitted to the press that he armed civilians belonging to his party, the ruling FRETILIN, in clear violation of the law.
That was publicly denounced by those same armed FRETILIN militants, what is a good sign of the regeneration capacity of FRETILIN.
And finally, yesterday, the President demanded the resignation of the Prime Minister, who is at least politically responsible for keeping in the Government and later making Vice-President of the ruling party a Minister who illegally resorted to arming civilians, fanning conflict and violence and, thus, endangering the country's independence.
All this process proves that Timor Leste is not a failed State, rather it is going through a difficult crisis of democratic growth. But, despite its youth and fragility, Timor Leste democratic institutions are working, expurgating those who committed serious mistakes, violated the law or attempted to subvert democracy".
