Text of Draft Constitution as passed Feb. 2002:  Portuguese: PDF, MSWord, English: PDF,  MSWord, Bahasa: PDF, MSWord

Subject: Press Release 12 February 2002 -- Constituent Assembly

ASSEMBLEIA CONSTITUINTE TIMOR LESTE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY EAST TIMOR

Secretariado Secretariat

Press Release

Tuesday, 12 February 2002 The members of the Constituent Assembly approved today a new calendar for the remaining part of the constitutional process. The previous timetable, which included 9 March 2002 as deadline, had proved to be too tight.

The new calendar was approved with 62 in favour, 2 against and 4 abstentions (20 members were absent). The revised timetable is as follows:

13 February - Finalization of Tetum translation 
13-15 February - Members discuss methodology of popular consultations 
14-19 February - Printing of the constitution 
18 February - CA-members representing the districts travel to the districts to prepare the public consultations 
20-23 February - Distribution of the constitution to the districts 
23-25 February - CA-members depart to the districts (helicopter, car, bus) 
25 Feb ­ 2 March - Public consultations 
2-3 March - CA-members return to Dili 
4-5 March - CA-members write reports on public consultations 
6 March - Presentation of the reports 
7-9 March - Study and Systematization of reports 
11-12 March - Appreciation by each parliamentary group 
13 March - Global approval of constitution 
14-15 March - Preparation for signing ceremony 
16 March - Signing of constitution - celebration

From 23-25 February the CA-members will depart to the districts in order to be there in time for the public consultations which will take place between 25 February and 2 March 2002. For these consultations the 88 CA-members will split up into groups with each group visiting a district and its sub-districts. The members also approved the list that specifies which members will visit which districts.

Before the consultation process a total of 50.000 copies of the constitution (in Portuguese, Tetum, Bahasa Indonesia and English) will be distributed throughout the country. After the public consultations the members return to Dili to write reports about their meetings throughout the country. These report will be studied and then discussed in the plenary. According to the new timetable the global approval of the constitution will take place on 13 February. The constitution will be signed on 16 March.

The plenary nominated three members to join the commission which will make an assessment of the needs of the future National Parliament. This commission is led by the CA’s Secretariat together with UNDP. The three members are: Clementino Amaral, Milena Pires and Francisco Kalbuadi Lay.

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