27 April 2013

Draft Land Law a priority for Parliamentary Committee A

ETLS  26 April 2013 - According to a report in The Dili Weekly on 12 April 2013, Parliamentary Committee A will prioritise three laws in the current sitting of the Parliament including the draft land law.

According to the President of Commission A, MP Carmelita Caetano Moniz, the Land Law is comprised of a package of three pieces of legislation.

“Within this year we will try hard to debate these laws and take them to the plenary for approval,” said MP Moniz.
She added of the three law, the Land Law is the most important to be debated and approved at the National Parliament because there are many land disputes in the country.

Meanwhile CNRT MP Francisco da Costa said these laws must be adequately debated and approved by the parliament so some of the problems that have occurred can be regulated.

“But I don’t know yet about the status of the Land and Property Law and the Anti-Corruption Law because the law I have at the moment on my table is the Municipalities Law,” said MP da Costa.

The MP has concerns with the fact the laws are in Portuguese and urges them to be translated into Tetum so they can be easily understood.

“So we can provide feedback to one another. I think it is very important to approve these laws and laws are important to regulate citizens,” added MP da Costa. Source: The Dili Weekly

24 April 2013

Minister Babo informs land issues to President TMR

Timor-Post 23/04/2013 - The Minister for Justice, Dionisio Babo Soares has informed the President of the Republic, Taur Matan Ruak (TMR) about land and property issues in the country including the Ministry's efforts to produce the law to resolve land and properties disputes in the country.

“I explained the Land and Property Law to the president of the republic and we have contacted civil society organisations and international organisations to accumulate their opinions before presenting it to the Council of Ministers,” Babo said.

President TMR was happy with the work of ministry of justice as it has made efforts to produce a new land law to move forward with the land and property issues in the country, as it would impact the development process if the issue is unresolved.

11 April 2013

Foreign nationals have no right to purchase land in Timor-Leste

10 April 2013 - Suara Timor-Lorosae reports on statements by the State Secretary for Land and Property, Jaime Xavier Lopes, regarding the ownership of land in Timor-Leste. He is reported as saying that foreign nationals have no right to purchase land in Timor-Leste despite some of them had bought land from local residents in the country.

“Foreign nationals have no right to land in the country as the Constitution Article 74 states that only Timorese people have the right to land,” Lopes said.

Lopes called on the Timorese people not to support Chinese people in purchasing land in the country because it would impact the country’s new generation.

02 April 2013

Report on land dispute heard in Baucau District Court 6 February 2012

Land dispute, Case No. 12/Civ.PI/2012/TDB.

Baucau District Court
Judge composition : Single
Judge: Afonso Carmona
Lawyers for the plaintiff : Lino Lopes and Marçal Guterres
Lawyer for the respondent : Sérgio Paulo Dias Quintas

Conclusion: Ongoing

This matter was tried on 6 February 2013 in order to attempt to reach an amicable settlement. The case was registered with the court as Case No. 12/Civ.PI/2012/TDB.

This case involved Manuel Dos Santos Cabral as the plaintiff and Marçal Lequidara as the respondent. The dispute occurred in 2011 in Baucau.

Attempts to reach a peaceful settlement were unsuccessful. The respondent stated that he had tried many times to reconcile, however the plaintiff refused, therefore the respondent requested for the court to proceed with the trial.

At the request of the respondent the court will issue a record of the hearing and then set a date to continue the trial.


Source: JSMP Press Release 2/04/2013 Summary of the trial process at the Baucau District Court Period: February 2013. Edited by Warren L. Wright