A new registration law permitting Timorese living overseas to vote in the 2017 elections have been approved by the National Parliament.
National Member of Parliament MP Francisco da Costa said article 3 in the Constitution recognized Timorese citizens both inside and outside the country, therefore the Parliament needed to make a registration law to facilitate those living overseas to vote in the next election.
“It is to give a chance for those who stay in overseas to participate in the next election 2017,” said da Costa.
He called for the Secretariat for the Technical Administration of Elections (STAE) to proceed with the implementation process.
“The Government should prepare the budget to cover all citizens living overseas and createproper systems for its implementation,” he said.
Deputy Ministry of State Administration Tomas do Rosario Cabral said it had been announced that STAE will cooperate with the Ministry of Foreign Affair and Cooperation in order to identify the countries where the registration process will need to be implemented.
He called on Timorese living overseas to complete the registration process at their respective embassy or consulate.
“For the Timorese who have not registered at the embassies, they have no rights,” said Cabral.
For Timorese who live in Indonesia or have Indonesian citizenship, but still want to register, STAE will send their documents to the Indonesian embassy, he said.
Only those who renounced theirIndonesian citizenship would be allowed to vote as Indonesia does not allow its citizens to hold dual nationality.
