Xanana’s Calling Mario Carrascalao Stupid Shows Emergence of a Crisis of Trust in the AMP Government

Translation from Tetum:

TEMPO SEMANAL
Friday, 3 September 2010
 
During the public consultation for the Vera Cruz Sub District held at the Former Municipal Markets in Dili last night, PM Xanana openly showed that he has lost confidence in the Deputy Prime Minister for State Administration Matters, Mario Viegas Carrascalao.
 
This declaration of open war between Xanana and his deputy occurred when Xanana was answering questions from a youth who had questioned him about US$3 million lost in the Ministry of Finance. “This person who has been making statements about these three million dollars lost in the Ministry of Finance is a stupid person and does not have an understanding of the system. I know what Mario Carrascalao wants to show. He wants to say that because he did not want even one cent to fall to the ground that he has grabbed onto this three million dollars thing. This only shows his stupidity, that he does not understand the system,” Xanana said harshly.  Some time ago the Deputy PM Mario Carrascalao condemned the Ministry of Finance in the media for having lost three million dollars and for which the PM is investigating.
 
The PM continued, “I know that Mr. Mario has the habit of raising this thing.  But I tell you all, Mr. Mario is lying to himself.”
 
The PM acknowledged that it is people who have often done wrong themselves yet everyday they yell all over the place as if they were saints and everyone else were sinners, saying, “I will not accept this.”  The former Commander in Chief of the Falintil during the period of the resistance wrote in a document on 20 August 1987 that as the Governor of the Province of Timur-Timor at that time was “Indonesia’s propagandist”, and last night Xanana mocked his deputy saying, “we sometimes forget that before we traveled all around Timor saying that independence is a daydream.  Now you come and yell at me, this I do not accept.”

The former leader of the CNRM warned the former Governor for the Suharto Regime, “I do not accept that some people who before made a lot of money from the spilling of our blood, today come and yell criticism at me,” Xanana publicly scolded Mario Carrascalao.
 
Some of the powers of the Deputy PM have already been suspended by a decree law approved on 25/08/2010 and has been promulgated by the President of the Republic Dr. Jose Ramos Horta.

Tempo Semanal attempted to get a comment from the Deputy PM on this matter but was unsuccessful because he has not been in his office and his media advisor has not been answering the phone.

According to a Political observer Felipe Rodrigues Pereira who has recently completed his masters degree in Political Science in Indonesia in an exclusive interview with Tempo Semanal, “Firstly I am very saddened to witness this current government reflecting itself in the eyes of the public as being disorganized and disoriented.  Such misunderstandings should be sorted out internally and ethically within the spirit of the alliance that exists so that the public can continue to have trust in this government.  But what has happened shows that the members of the government prefer to use the media to attack one another. This only shows that the government is not solid enough to continue functioning and governing, and ultimately it is the people who suffer because the government is making itself lame.

“This disagreement clearly shows that there is a crisis of trust within the top leadership of the AMP towards Mario Carrascalao.  The suspension of powers previously given to Deputy PM Mario Carrascalao means that he has been administratively sanctioned for his acts and conduct because it has been contrary to AMP policy.  But it would be better and so as not to cause speculation then this suspension handed out to Deputy PM Carrascalao should be extended to other members of government who during this time have not been performing their functions well or who have contradicted AMP policy,” said Filipe.
 
He added that, “The issue of what Deputy PM Mario Carrascalao must now do in relation to the suspension of his powers, as I said above, legally and morally the suspension of these powers must be considered as being a punishment. This is not just like sanctioning a public servant, because it is the Deputy PM, it has a number of significant aspects about it, namely that there is a lack or if there is any remaining confidence in him, so he must voluntarily resign or something like that.  If Deputy PM Carrascalao has any dignity left the best thing for him to do is to resign from the government, so as to give the government the opportunity to govern with more internal solidity. The people are sick and tired of the conflicts that have emerged within this alliance.  Deputy PM Carrascalao can return to the National Parliament to oversee the AMP’s governance as he did before.”

“Regarding allegations that Deputy PM Carrascalao himself was involved in corruption whilst he was Deputy PM, it would be better that the appropriate authorities investigate and wait the outcome of such investigations.  But the conflict that is currently occurring between the PM and the Deputy PM Carrascalao may indirectly smash Carrascalao further and at the same time smash the PSD as a political party before the 2012 elections,” he underscored.  (*ends*)