The Director of the Patria Foundation, Laura Pina, said she was happy with the new suku election law approved by the National Parliament as it gave a big advantage to female candidates.
She said in the new suku law, article 44 and 65 stipulated that there must be a women candidate in every suku (village) and sub-villages and it was a good opportunity for women to be nominated.
“The new law gives big advantage for women to participate and to promote gender equality at the suku level,” said Pina following a Gender Working Group meeting at the Asia Foundation in Dili.
She said Patria would work with the government and the development partners to further strengthen women’s participation in politics.
“We will keep strengthening women leadership ability in thinking and action to contribute to the sukus’ development,” she said.
Under the new law, the election will proceed in three phases, with communities to vote directly for the head of sukus, head of sub-village and the suku representatives.
The youth representative and traditional leader would then be voted by the elected suku council.
She also called for the National Electoral Commission (NEC) and the Secretariat of State for Administration (STAE) to provide civic education to voters, particularly women, so that they have a good understanding of the election process.
In 2015, the government’s Commission A (responsible for constitution, justice, public administration, local authorities and anti-corruption) decided to revise law no. 3/2009 regarding communitarian leaders as it was no longer effective.
On May 24, the law was approved by national MPs and the President.
However, President of the Manatuto Women’s Association Clara de Carvalho Ximenes said although they have had received a list of female candidates from the sukus, the law remained unclear.
“That’s why we cannot present it to the National Electoral Commission,” she said.
According to Ximenes, there was currently no discrimination against women and they were free to take part in all sectors.
She said the association would continue to encourage women to nominate and also called on men to support the process according to the law.
