Partido do Povo de Timor

Flag of the PPT

The Partido do Povo de Timor PPT ( Party of the People of Timor ) is an East Timorese party that was founded on May 7, 2000. Its predecessor was the Movimento do Povo de Timor-Leste MPTL ( Movement of the People of Timor-Leste ). The PPT is described as a conservative, backward-looking traditional party with utopian ideas and monarchist and religious tendencies.

General

The party has its supporters primarily among the traditional small kings of Timor , the Liurai , especially in the community of Ainaro .

The party has its roots in the part of the population that was in favor of East Timor's permanent union with Indonesia . Among the founders was Ermino da Silva da Costa , a former leading member of APODETI , a party that sought to join Indonesia as early as 1974. Because of this background, the PPT was never a member of the Conselho Nacional de Resistência Timorense (CNRT) , the umbrella organization of East Timorese groups and parties striving for independence. Costa was number three in the hierarchy of the pro-Indonesian militias in East Timor, after João da Costa Tavares and Eurico Guterres , and a member of the University of Timor Aswain (UNTAS, German Association of Timorese Heroes ), its political wing. He separated from both after the referendum on the independence of East Timor in August 1999, which turned out to be in favor of East Timor, accepted the result and now worked with UNTAET .

The party chairman was originally Jacob Xavier , who described himself as a direct descendant of the Portuguese royal family and who regularly attracted attention with very eccentric statements. Vice-President and Secretary General is Francisco Pinto , Liurai from Uatucarbau .

Pinto explains that the PPT stands for the introduction of a two-bank system (one bank for the Liurais, one for the common people), the re-enforcement of the Ten Commandments and is anti-communist. Pinto could not explain details in an interview. Only party chairman Xavier knows that, and as a studied theologian, he speaks in such a “high language” that all other party members do not understand him.

The PPT supports the current political system of the republic after a monarchy has not yet come about. During the UN administration of East Timor (1999-2002), the PPT spoke out in favor of Xanana Gusmão as a candidate for the future presidency . In the first legislative period of parliament (2001–2007) the PPT repeatedly supported FRETILIN with legislative proposals, including the unpopular laws on pensions for members of parliament.

The PPT has a connection to Colimau 2000 .

Performing in elections

Flag of the Aliança Democratica

In the previous parliamentary elections on August 30, 2001 , the PPT had received 2.01% of the vote and thus two of the 88 seats in the parliament of East Timor , especially in Ainaro, Oe-Cusse Ambeno and Dili . In addition to Jacob Xavier, Ananias do Carmo Fuka also sat for the PPT in parliament.

In the 2007 presidential election campaign, Xavier and the PPT supported Manuel Tilman from KOTA , so that he received the most votes in seven sucos . Overall, however, it was only 4.09%.

For the first parliamentary elections after independence on June 30, 2007, the PPT prepared a joint electoral list with the KOTA, under the name Aliança Democratica KOTA / PPT .

The Aliança Democratica KOTA / PPT finally received 13,294 votes, which corresponds to 3.20% of the valid votes. It found the greatest support in the then Ainaro district , where it received 18.15% (4,066 votes) of the vote and became the second strongest list. The alliance received over 1,000 votes in the following districts:

Dili : 1,329 votes (1.63%)
Ermera : 1,265 votes (2.97%)
Aileu : 1,012 votes (5.60%)

Manuel Tilman from KOTA and Jacob Xavier then entered the East Timorese national parliament with 65 members for the alliance. The alliance was dissolved again after the election.

The PPT was not allowed to participate in the 2012 parliamentary elections because it did not submit its electoral list to the electoral authorities within the deadline. Jacob Xavier joined the Partido Democrático (PD) list instead and was able to move back into the national parliament. However, he died only a few weeks later.

In the 2017 parliamentary elections , the PPT dropped out of the ranks of the parties when it checked the support lists. She had not met the necessary admission criteria.

Party flag

The Movimento Nacional para a Libertação de Timor-Díli (1979) and Movimento Popular Timor-Leste (1985), which were co-founded by party leader Jacob Xavier, already had blue and white flags, similar to the old royal flag of Portugal . And the coat of arms of today's party flag was already in use. It shows royal, Timorese symbols such as the Kaibauk crown or the Belak disk. There is also the coat of arms of Portugal and two roosters as shield bearers. Another relic from the previous movements is the name Timor-Dili on the banner, a replacement for the old colonial name Portuguese Timor .