Paulina Quintao – At the commemoration of popular consultation day on August 30, the President of National Parliament, Aderito Hugo, called on the country's sovereign bodies to be responsible and treat people with dignity according to the constitution.
He said the country's independence was bought with people's suffering, hardship, blood and bones. Although Timor-Leste was a small country and only gained independence 17 years ago, Hugo said it had made significant progress compared to some other countries.
"Even though they (other countries) gained independence more than 30 years ago, they [still] do not enjoy the democracy and freedom that Timorese people do," he said at the 17th anniversary celebrations of popular consultation day at the Dili convention center.
He said Timor-Leste's most significant achievements since independence had been in the areas of democracy, justice and human rights. "As a Timorese, I invite everyone here and out there to be proud of their work and own contribution [to the country]," he said.
As a result of its successful history, he said Timor-Leste was known around the world. In 2014, Timor-Leste through the Secretariat for Technical and Electoral Administration (STAE) assisted the people of Guinea Bissau to register to vote in the elections.
"I encourage our friends in Guinea Bissau to try to free themselves from this situation where they don't have liberty and democracy [and] where people [still] do not enjoy their life after 40 years of independence," he said.
He also thanked Timor-Leste's international friends and partners for their support in helping Timor-Leste become a success.
Popular consultation day marks the country's historic referendum on August 30, 1999 in which the Timorese people voted overwhelming in favor of independence from Indonesia.
Meanwhile, UN resident coordinator Knut Ostby said Timor-Leste's development was much more advanced than many other countries in South East Asia. Since independence, he said the most significant progress in the country had been in peace-building and improving people's prosperity.
"On this day I would like to recognize and applaud Timor-Leste for its commitment to sharing its experiences with other countries that still face the same problems," he said.
"The government of Timor-Leste has led the G7+ group for fragile states and its advocacy role for the implementation of the objectives for sustainable development in fragile countries has been very good," he said.
He added the UN continued to support the country through the promotion of inclusive and sustainable development.
However, local resident Julio Anes Padua was upset that this year's annual celebrations did not include more ordinary Timorese people. "It should be a day for all Timorese people, not only government employees because this is the day that the Timorese determined our independence," he said.