Paulina Quintao – As Timor-Leste heads to the polls to vote during the Legislative Election 2017 that will determine the composition of the VII Government that will rule over the next five years, the community urges more inclusive policies and programs and equitable development that leads to an equal sharing of prosperity.
A voter and a resident of Liquisa municipality, Paulo da Silva Neves said what the people want and dream is of a developed Timor-Leste that brings prosperity for all Timorese, not to just a handful of people.
"In democracies, it is normal that political parties will compete but it is important that if they get the trust [of the people] that they remember development should benefit everyone," he said in Comoro, Dili.
He also urged politicians after winning the election to prioritize social issues including access to adequate housing, access to clean water, and good roads.
He also encourages the community to continue monitoring implementation of work and demand political parties deliver on promises made during the campaigns.
In Timor-Leste, a total of 31 political parties are officially registered but only 21 parties are running during the 2017-2022 legislative election.
Meanwhile voter Martinho Freitas from Baucau municipality, who lives with a disability, hope the new government will create inclusive programs and develop policies that improve conditions for people living with disability.
"We want the new government to create good policy for us people with disability so we can lead normal lives like everyone else," he said. Martinho has a disability but makes a living selling mobile phone credits and cigarettes in front of Timor Plaza in Dili.
Youth Inocensio Amaral feels there is still discrimination in the way development in Timor-Leste is taking place, because most development is taking place in the capital Dili.
"The roads across Dili, in particular in the Farol area have been worked on three times already while roads in rural areas are still in poor condition, full of mud, making it difficult for farmers to access markets," he said
He hopes the new government will work closely with the people and get them involved in development too address unemployment in Timor-Leste.
"We need to create an integrated government, that respects the law, promotes good governance, that promotes social issues and justice for everyone. One that brings development based on peoples' needs and not on the wants of the leaders'," he added.
Youth Amaral also hopes for better and more qualified representation in parliament 2017 until 2022 that can debate and approve laws based on the needs of the people.
For the Director of non-Governmental organization Luta Hamutuk (LH) Jose Alves da Costa, there are several projects that have been implemented by the outgoing government in the infrastructure sector such as with electricity, but there are still problems in the delivery of basic needs such as clean water, roads and education.
"The communities still complains about clean water. For example,in Dili, in neighborhoods including in Colmera, Tasi tolu, Surikmas and Becora, there are still complains about accessing clean water," he said.
He added former governments have not fulfilled their campaign promises to the community and only focused on developing mega projects.
Director da Costa urges the VII government to get rid of old habits including spending large amounts of money in big projects of poor quality.