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Jokowi congratulates Timor Leste for successful parliamentary election
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Stronger ties: Timor Leste President Francisco "Lú Olo" Guterres (left) and President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo address reporters at the Bogor Palace in Bogor, West Java, on June 28. (JP/Anton Hermansyah)
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo congratulated Timor Leste for holding a successful election on May 12.
“I want to congratulate the people of Timor Leste for their successful parliamentary election in May. Indonesia has a high commitment to improve its partnership with and support development in Timor Leste,” he said at the Bogor Palace in Bogor, West Java, on Thursday.
Jokowi welcomed the visit of Timor Leste President Francisco "Lú Olo" Guterres. It was his first overseas trip after he was elected president last year.
(Read also: Jokowi welcomes Timor Leste president)
The May 12 parliamentary election was held after a previous election on July 22, 2017. In the 2017 election, the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (Fretilin) won the popular vote but failed to get a majority of parliamentary seats.
Fretilin’s coalition with the Democratic Party gave it a combined 30 out of 65 seats, while the rest were filled by the opposing coalition, named the Alliance for Change and Progress (AMP).
The minority government faced difficulties with its proposed budget, as it was rejected twice in October and December 2017.
On Jan 25 this year, Lú Olo dissolved parliament and called for a fresh election. The election was held on May 12 and AMP won 49.6 percent of the vote, resulting in 34 seats.
Jokowi also thanked Timor Leste for its support as Indonesia was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council on June 18. (ebf)
