In his speech, the President of the Oé-Cusse Ambeno Special Administrative Region Authority (RAEOA – ZEESM – TL), Mari Alkatiri stated that he felt very sad about Xanana Gusmão's absence at the event.
“Therefore if today my heart is rather sad because my brother Xanana Gusmão is not here. I believe that even though he is not in Oe-Kusi now, I believe that even though he is in Dili or elsewhere, he will accompany or watch this direct transmission,” he said.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate José Ramos Horta considered the absence Xanana in Oe – Kusi Ambeno because there is political difference among them.
“He was dissappointed. I think maun boot Xanana he is the real founder of this country. There are two people in our history that the biggest. One is Nicolau Lobato and the other is Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão,” Horta said.
Without Xanana Gusmão maybe we wouldn’t be free today. We all fought. FALINTIL, clandestine netwrok, international solidarity, and us abroad in diplomacy, but you need a very wise leader that when he sees an opportunity he takes it. That’s mean that you have the courage to do it. Like the referendum, if Xanana was a weak leader he probably would have said postpone there are no security condition. He decided to postpone, no referendum, will never happen.
“So I say, Xanana is a real the architecture of our independence. He is the real father of the country. He has to behave as a grandfather, as a father and a leader”.
Alkairi or Lú – Olo or anyone offend him, upset him, he is bigger and he should invite them for dialogue.
“But I know maun boot Xanana will invite them for dialogue because he doesn’t hate people. He get upset today than he . . . but he is very sensitive, upset because of the blocking or the swearing in of some government ministries”.
But maybe the president and Mr Xanana and the prime minister Taur Matan Ruak, they three can sit together and find a compromise and restructure the government. CNRT is right, they are the largest party in the government, they should have more members.
The AMP high-level conference consisting of three political parties, the CNRT party, PLP and KHUNTO has decided and issued a resolution not to extend the Mari Alkariti position at Oe-Kusi Ambeno because there are many suspected corruption cases.
The Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste recognizes the special status of Oe-Cusse, an enclave in the north west of the island of Timor, stating that it “shall enjoy special administrative and economic treatment” and “be governed by a special administrative policy and economic regime.” In June last year Law No 3/2014 was passed creating the Special Administrative Region of Oe-Cusse Ambeno and establishing the Special Zone of Social Market Economy also known as ZEESM. Oe-Cusse Ambeno has faced significant development challenges compounded because of its isolation from contiguous Timor-Leste. The law notes the objective of the Special Administrative Region is to achieve “inclusive development of the region prioritizing activities of a socio economic nature to promote the quality of life and well-being of the community.”
Former Prime Minister H.E. Dr. Mari Alkatiri, President of the Authority of the Special Administrative Region of Oe-Cusse Ambeno and Chair of the Special Zone of Social Market Economy of Oe-Cusse Ambeno and Ataúro, notes that the Authority will use an “integrated approach to sustainable, social and economic development” accomplished by “investing in the training, education and health of the people of Oe-Cusse Ambeno while simultaneously investing in vital infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, school and more to help build a dynamic regional economy.”
The 2015 Budget allocates $81.9 Million to the Authority to invest to accelerate inclusive economic development and develop basic infrastructure. The Region will be using its status as a Special Economic Zone to attract quality foreign investment and long-term business initiatives.
