Dili – Six members of the government of Timor-Leste resign from their posts. They follow the decision of the CNRT president to withdraw the party from the eighth constitutional government. Three cabinet members who are not CNRT-members but had been proposed by the party decided to remain part of the government.

The following CNRT members have resigned: minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, Dionisio da Costa Babo Soares; minister of state of the presidency of the council of ministers, Hermenegildo Pereira; minister of education, youth and sports, Dulce de Jesus Soares; vice-minister of state administration, Abilio Jose Caetano; secretary of state for cooperatives, Arsenio Pereira da Silva; secretary of state for youth and sports, Nelio Isaac Sarmento while secretary of state for arts and culture, Teofilo Caldas still not make a decision whether to follow his fellow CNRT friends.

The following government members who had been proposed by the CNRT will stay in their position: vice-minister of finance, Sara Lobo Brites; secretary of state for civil protection, Alexandrino de Araujo; and secretary of state for the affairs of combatants of national liberation, Gil da Costa Monteiro "Oan Soru".

Foreign minister Dionisio Babo Soares said, being a CNRT member, always to comply with the decision of the party, and presented a resignation letter to prime minister Taur Matan Ruak.

"We met the PM to inform him about our party's decision. All members of the CNRT party, especially main members like me, submitted to the PM our resignation as member of the government that held important tasks such as MNEK," Dionisio Babo Soares said in the government palace after meeting with prime minister Taur Matan Ruak, Monday (25/05). "The PM really regrets it, but this is the political dynamic, this is democracy," Dionisio Babo Soares explained.

He affirmed that, as a member of the CNRT, he must comply with party decision. "As a government member and party member, we respect this decision. And the PM decided that after he received our resignation letter, he will make sure we will receive a formal dismissal based on RDTL constitution," he further explained.

Even though the party decided for all members to resign, some of the government members that were proposed by the party, made their own choices. Vice-finance minister, Sara Lobo Brites, said she will continue her duty as usual. "I will continue to work, even though I was proposed by CNRT, because I am here as a technical professional, I will do my job," Sara Lobo Brites stated.

Source: https://www.tempotimor.com/en/2603-six-cnrt-members-resign-from-government