DILI: East Timor police fired tear gas on Tuesday against protesters demonstrating for the second consecutive day against plans to purchase new official vehicles for lawmakers.
More than 2,000 people, mostly students from several universities in the capital Dili, gathered near the National Parliament to protest the plan to procure cars for each of the 65 members of parliament.
The demonstration began peacefully but turned violent when police fired tear gas after some protesters hurled rocks toward them.
This followed a similar protest on Monday, which prompted several political parties to announce they would ask parliament to cancel the purchase.
Those same parties had previously approved the 2025 budget that included the funding for the vehicles.
Protesters have vowed to continue their rallies until the plan is formally scrapped.
Activist Domingos de Andrade, 34, told reporters Tuesday that they want the decision to purchase the cars to be cancelled by the president of the National Parliament.
He stated that authorities need to stop the bad habit of buying cars while protesters carried banners urging authorities to stop thieves and corruptors.
Protesters also burned tyres and a government vehicle near the parliament building as the East Timor government had yet to issue an official response related to the protests by Tuesday.
In a joint statement on Monday, the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction, the Democratic Party and the Enrich the National Unity of the Sons of Timor said the purchase did not reflect public interests.
These parties pledged they would ask parliament to cancel the purchase in one of Southeast Asia’s poorest nations.
East Timor, Southeast Asia’s youngest country, gained independence from Indonesia in 2002 and continues to grapple with high inequality, malnutrition, and unemployment.
The former Portuguese colony maintains an economy heavily reliant on oil while facing ongoing public discontent over government spending priorities. – AFP