Paulina Quintao – Voters in this year's presidential election have urged the elected president to eliminate the life pension law.
Citizen Manuel Soares said there had been public concern about the law for a long time, but there had been no solution until now.
"Everyone is concerned about the life pension law, but there has been no solution. As the president of the Republic [of Timor-Leste], he (the President) has full rights to eliminate it," he said after casting his vote at the Pre and Secondary School 10 de Dezembru polling booth in Dili.
Currently heads of state, ministers, MPs and government officials are eligible to receive a pension for life once they retire or leave office.
Under the Timor-Leste constitution, the President is the supreme commander and is responsible for ensuring the Defense Force of Timor-Leste (F-FDTL) and the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) have the proper conditions to do their work properly.
Meanwhile, former Secretary of State for Equality Promotion Idelta Maria Rodrigues congratulated the government, particularly the National Electoral Commission (CNE) and the Secretariat for Technical and Electoral Administration (STAE), for overseeing the democratic process.
"[The President] should be a good servant, not only for his group (party), but should take care of people in general," she said. "I believe that the new president will bring positive change in the next five years."
She also called on the elected president to work with sovereign bodies to maintain national unity and stability, as well as bring development to the country.
Timor-Leste gained its independence in 1999 and restored its independence in 2002 and this is the first time it has organized elections without international assistance since the United Nation completed its mission in 2013.