Taur Matan Ruak on Tight Rope

This story in the Associated Press about the latest saga in the formation of new Timor Leste government gives the strongest signal yet that the alliance is cracking. Negotiations for the line up of the VIII Constitutional Government have been tense. Three political parties all want a big slice of power in the new government tried to muscle in their people. Xanana wants to control power by having his people in key position where the money is: finance, petroleum, infrastructure, veterans, etc. Matan Ruak wants to be the PM at all cost even if without control of the government (budget). And then KHUNTO comes in asking for key positions like interior (security), social solidarity, etc. New positions are also created just to accommodate others who could potentially become spoilers. But right now the biggest spoiler of them all seems to be President Fracisco Guterres Luolo. But is it? A week before the government was sworn in rumour had it that Matan Ruak had asked President Fracisco Guterres Luolo to block some CNRT appointees from the government lineup. Taur had promised during the campaign that he would lead a clean government free of corruption and mismanagement. And that means he would not allow anyone with questionable record to join his government. For his part Matan Ruak sent a list of PLP appointees to CAC and Prosecutor General's office to get clearance., something that neither CNRT nor KHUNTO did.

A day before the swearing in President's office informed AMP that about a dozen of their appointees have not been accepted by President Lu. And those people, now we know that there are 11 of them, include people like Francisco Kalbuady who had been named by Aljazeera as having been involved in major corruption scandal in FIFA, for which Sepp Blatter was forced to stand down. Back home, Kalbuady had been the worst performing minister whose tourism portfolio had been a total failure. As head of our football federation (FFTL) Kalbuady also provided TL passports to foreigners (mostly Brazilians) in violation of our immigration and naturalization laws in order to have them play in our national soccer team.

Other than Kalbuady, we now know that the exclusion list also includes;

- Gastao Sousa (planing and strategic investment) - formerly PD but switched to CNRT, ex minister of public works

- Thomas Cabral (state administration) - CNRT ex vice minister of state administration

- Helder Lopes (finance) - CNRT, used to be vice minister of finance

- Marcos da Cruz (agriculture) - PD then switched to CNRT, ex vice minister agriculture

- Abel Pires (public works) - PLP without previous experience

- Sergio Lobo (health) - CNRT and minister of health in V government

- Virgilio Smith (veterans) - CNRT head of veterans commission

- Amandio Benevides (justice) - KHUNTO

- Jacinto Rigoberto (tourism and comerce) - CNRT

- Jose Turqel (foreign relations) - KHUNTO

Filomeno Paixao was among the group that didn't take their oath on Friday. However Filomeno's is an administrative matter. He is currently the number two person in FFDTL. He has resigned but there is a number of administrative hurdles he has to overcome before he could be exonerated from the military. The rest either have ongoing cases before the court, have committed crimes previously or are under suspicion. The President had himself sought clearance from the courts and CAC for everyone on the AMP lineup.

Matan Ruak is in a grave dilemma. He has branded CNRT in the past as the most corrupt political party in Timor before promising the electorate that he would never accept CNRT as partner in whatever shape or form. But Matan Ruak's PLP is a minor party in the coalition and would never, on its own, gain enough electoral support to take PLP to power. PLP was lucky to have come to and understanding with CNRT and found common ground. Matan Ruak wants to be PM, Xanana and CNRT want control of government. KHUNTO for wahtever reason joined CNRT and PLP.

After the 2018 elections Matan Ruak got his way and given the job of PM. But would he have full control of government? No! Xanana wants control of key positions, which effectively controls most of the budget: infrastructure and veterans. People like Gastao Sousa, Helder Lopes, Alfredo Pires (petroleum) and Virgilio Smith are Xanana's most trusted elements in CNRT. If AMP gets rid of Alkatiri from ZEESM, then Tomas Cabral would also control another huge portion of the budget as ZEESM is under ministry of state administration (at least under the VI government). Most of the decisions about mega infrastructure projects (such as South Coast and potentially ZEESM) will come under Xanana's control.

Matan Ruak has two issues with the CNRT appointees. The first is that he won't have effective control of government. The second is that his credibility would be tarnished if his government included these individuals. But he also wants to be PM!!!!! But his PLP with 8 seats is very small compared to CNRT's 21. Taur doesn't call the shots and can't call the shots. He couldn't force Xanana to exclude any CNRT appointee to his government's line up. Hence, it makes sense for Matan Ruak to ask President to block these people.

Anyone who has been paying attention would notice that PLP and Matan Ruak have stayed quiet when President Lu announced that he had removed those 11 people from the government's proposed line up. Matan Ruak, as president back in 2015, also did exactly the same when he refused to swear in Francisco Borolaco as the secretary of state for institutional strengthening (SEFI)!!

Xanana was extremely vexed and wrote a blistering letter to his "brother" Taur to repudiate President Lu's decision. In the letter he informed Taur that neither he nor his CNRT appointees would be taking part in the Friday's swearing in ceremony (well, CNRT ministers did show up at the ceremony and too their oath). Xanana also informed Matan Ruak that he and CNRT have prepared a criminal case against President Lu regarding an alleged $1 million payment from the government to President Lu.

The CNRT mob have also been busy calling the President out for his decision. CNRT's and AMP's (obviously controled by CNRT elements) official social media sites have accused the President of trying to plunge the country into chaos once again.

But the public opinion is firmly in favour of President Fracisco Guterres Luolo's decision.

Matan Ruak and PLP is remaining quiet to avoid a confrontation with Xanana. A confrontation with Xanan would spell the end of Matan Ruak's experience as head of government almost immediately. But soon Xanana will ask Matan Ruak to speak up as a partner in the coalition and as the head of government. Will Matan Ruak side with Xanana and defy the President and public opinion? He will start off his government with a big blemish on his government. And as a nominal leader of the government (like Rui Araujo was once) the government he leads will be commanded by Xanana and CNRT (and rightly so as the largest party). Faced with a fierce opposition as FRETILIN and PD, Taur and PLP will quickly lose support and be overwhelmed by CNRT. If Matan Ruak decides to ignore Xanana's position and Xanana calls on CNRT (and KHUNTO) to abandon the AMP government, then the so called VIII Constitutional Government will quickly unravel. It was hard enough for the FRETILIN-PD alliance to maintain a government with 30 seats. What can Matan Ruak and his PLP do with 8 seats? It could be  the shortest government that's ever lived. Difficult choices for Matan Ruak.

But... Could Xanana and CNRT cave in to President's demands and appoint other people with cleaner records? Unlikely. There is another reason why Xanana particularly wants people like Kalbuady, Gastao Sousa and Helder Lopes. They could potentially be called to answer questions in the court the answers of which could incriminate Xanana. Emilia Pires has conveniently ran away from Timor and settled in Portugal away from the reach of Timor's courts. But there are others who could end up in court and end up having to reveal "things". Just recently Gastao was forced to admit that it was Xanana who instructed him to take government vehicles for his private use. So trusting is Gastao of Xanana that he even removed the government registration plate and replaced it with a private one and encouraged his children to use the vehicles. Beyond this, there are other cases involving hundreds of millions of dollars that have been, at best mismanaged and wasted, or at worst, embezzled. As members of government, these people would be immune from prosecution and that is precisely where Xanana wants them to be, in government and immune from prosecution. Imagine... If in 7 months in which Gastao ceased to be a member of government, our courts managed to get his confession, what could 5 years do? President Lu must be aware of this and that's why he has asked for these individuals not to be included in Taur's government. Naturally Xanana would oppose the President's decision.

And Matan Ruak should know by now that he (and KHUNTO) is being used by CNRT to shield certain individuals from prosecution, and to ultimately protect certain leaders and their interests. In 2017's negotiation to form government FRETILIN refused Xanana's requests to include, yes, Gastao Sousa and Santina Cardoso (ex finance minister who wasn't included in this year's CNRT list because she has already been convicted and is now appealing), Alfredo Pires, and others in the line up. And what happened? Xanan turned against FRETILIN and brought it down with Matan Ruak's help. FRETILIN only managed to hold on to government for a few months thanks to Alkatiri's stubbornness. Will the same thing happen to Matan Ruak's government? Will we head for another election?

The drama is not yet finished.

Our own Donald Trump

Donald Trum, US President (left) and Xanana Gusmão former President of Timor-Leste (right)

Donald Trump likes to grab women "by their pussy" because, it seems to him, he can. He is famous, wealthy and powerful, so women surrender themselves to him. Donald is all about that: "grab pussies", or basically, using his power to exploit and abuse women. But is it just Donald? Not so. It's a symptom of the powerful, specially powerful old men, to use their power to abuse the weak.

Far away in tiny Timor Leste we too have our own powerful old men always preying on the weak, specially women. The difference is, while Donald tries to be a little discreet with his shenanigans, in Timor Leste they do it in the open. It's as if our society demands this sort of abuse as proof of their strength and virility, and leadership.

That's our Xanana. He's up there in the league of dirty old powerful men who look at women as objects to satisfy their sexual malady. Xanana fools a lot of people with his statesmanlike demeanor, his so called charisma, when the situation demands it. But he also has his repugnant side which in a decent country would have him thrown in a facility. But it appears Xanana needs help!

Pictures of Xanana in cuddling young women, including pubescent girls, have surfaced on the internet in the past. An Australian journalist called Ted McDonnell was the first to point them out for everyone.

McDonnell published pictures of Xanana with three seemingly very young girls. The location is said to be at Hotel Borobudur. The furniture and the picture frame seem to be a give away of their location. Wearing black shorts, looking excited, he embraces the three girls one by one for a picture. In one photo, he appears to be trying to bite one of the girls' cheek, the other, he presses his lips tightly to her cheeks. We don't know who these girls were or when the photos were taken (at least they were taken before 2014).

Xanana embracing an unidentified girl at Hotel Borobudur in Jakarta

Xanana embracing a different girl at the same location

Yet another girl at the same location and possibly at same event

When these pictures first surfaced, many people attacked McDonnell for posting them on his blog. People were saying that these girls were in fact relatives, or nieces of Xanana. Xanana is close to his nieces (or grandchildren according to others) and this is how he shows them his affection. As it turned out, and Timor Leste is a small place, none of these girls were ever identified. What was Xanana doing?

More damaging pictures surfaced of Xanana during the election campaign. I have my own prejudice against the man and I have looked at these photos and tried very hard to shrug them off. But as more and more of them turned up, I can only conclude that Xanana is our own Donald Trump and a predator. More picture below.

For me, these photos show Xanana's contempt for women and his willingness to exploit their weakness. In doing so, Xanana is also sending a message across the country, specially to young men, and, sadly, young women, that it is a man's right to view and treat women as sexual objects.

Xanana doesn't run short of apologists, however. Mery Barreto, our own commissioner for the protection of the rights of children and a CNRT party official, went out of her way to defend Xanana. She warned the public that the picture where Xanana appeared to be biting on a young girl's cheek is doctored, or photoshopped. It's evidence that she considered this type of contact, between Xanana and the young girl unacceptable and repugnant, therefore it could only have been a hoax.

Later on, Signey Verdial, a female figure within the AMP clique appeared on TV wearing a shirt signed by Xanana. The signature has been pressed right above her right breast. Her message was loud and clear that it is OK for women to allow dirty old men to leave their autograph in parts of the female body traditionally considered out of bounds.

Where Xanana likes to leave his mark
Xanana likes to sign on women's top and chooses the least appropriate place to do so. I don't know whether the women, or girls, asked him to sign in these very places or not, but it seems that when it comes to men, he normally signs on the back of their shirt.

AMP member of parliament, Signi Verdial proudly displays Xanana's signature on her right breas

Following Xanana's footstep, other AMP leaders also make their mark on young girls

Xanana has started the trend. Dirty old powerful men can sign the shirts of women and girls anywhere they please and this is acceptable.


Where Xanana likes to put his hands

Xanana and a 13 year old girl

Xanana at a CNRT rally last year

Sexual assault?

Xanana bites into an adolescent girl's cheek for a selfie

During a campaign rally in Suai, Xanana was asked by a young girl for a selfie. She took out her phone, stood next to Xanana to snap the selfie when Xanana decided to turn his lips to her and bite her cheek. The girl was later identified to be a 16 year old who is completing grade 11 at local high school. When this image surfaced on the internet, CNRT activists quickly came to deny its veracity, going as far as to deny the authenticity of this image. As mentioned earlier, even the country's commissioner for the protection of rights of the child, Mery Barreto, suggested that this image has been doctored.

Another young girl getting a bite on her cheek from Xanana

Unknown woman

More kissing...
The most audacious display of his power takes place during AMP's campaign rally. It's as if to show how powerful he is while demanding total submission from his subjects. In two separate occasions, one in Lospalos, the other unknown, Xanana invited young women to the stage, made speeches, looked deep into their eyes, then moved his lips close to theirs.

Xanana pressing his face against an AMP supporter in Lospalos

Xanana forces a kiss on the lips of a woman, an AMP supporter, on stage at unknown location during the campaign rally

These photos have caused a lot of discussion on social media. Those who found it bizarre seem to be in the minority. Many others thought this to be Xanana's way to show his affection and take it as acceptable. Others believe it to be a privilege to be on the receiving end. But, honestly, this is clearly a form of abuse, it is repugnant and deplorable.

And recently, the President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, came under fire for kissing a married woman on her lips on camera.

Obviously the response to this sickening behaviour has been disapproving:

You can visit Ted McDonnell's Facebook posts (1, 2, 3) for more reactions.

Back in 2006 an Australian journalist, Jane Fraser, already noted Xanana's habit to force his lips against other women's. Fraser wrote that "apparently Xanana Gusmao insists female reporters kiss him on the lips after an interview." We scoffed at Fraser, scorned her for her attempt to slander our national leader. But evidence also piled up against Xanana. Either Xanana thinks that he is entitled to expect women to be accepting of his advances or he has a disorder that needed to be put in check. I can't help but think of those women and girls who fell victim to him.

Xanana is indeed powerful and charismatic. And he exploits these qualities to feed his ego and his needs. He uses his power to exploit the unwavering respect from his people, not only to run a government which ended up making his own family and friends wealthy, but he also regularly uses this privilege to get away with almost anything, including sexually abusing women and young girls.

Let's face it. Xanana has a sickening problem. Don't let his tears, his appeals to being a statesman, his warm touch, fool you. It's all a show that masks a perverted man struggling to suppress his sexual disorder. His appetite for young girls needs to be closely checked.

Xanana has been married twice. His first marriage started before the Indonesian invasion and occupation of which he had two children, Nito and Zenilda. Zenilda is a business woman but currently under investigation over allegations of tax fraud (here and here in Tetum).

Xanana's second marriage was to Australian Kirsty Sword-Gusmao. But this marriage ended in 2015. He and Kirsty have 3 children but since the divorce, the children and their mother have relocated to Melbourne in Australia.



Kirsty is has been a vocal advocate for women's and girls' rights. She established an NGO called Alola, the Alola Foundation "to improve the lives of women and children." The Foundation was named after a teenage girl from Suai who was taken hostage by the local pro-Indonesia militia leader and taken to West Timor as a "trophy wife" following the announcement of the 1999 referendum results. Alola was adopted as the name of her NGO to continue the fight to protect girls' rights and to free Alola herself, which Kirsty fought for in vain for years. But, while Alola languished in West Timor, Kirsty's own husband was busy abusing others girls like Alola in Timor-Leste and abroad.

Xanana is soon to be returned as Prime Minister of Timor Leste following the elections in May this year. He will resume his trips abroad to preach to the leaders of the g7+ countries about peace, dialogue, human rights, good governance, and Goal 16 of the SDGs. But this is the true Xanana. Everything else is lies. At home, he will continue to use his power to satisfy his needs and ensure his family and friends' needs are met by stealing from the people.