|
Thu, 9 Sep 2010
DILI, East Timor (RADIO AUSTRALIA) ---- East Timor's Deputy Prime Minister Mario Carrascalao has resigned.
Mario Carrascalao said he was forced to resign because Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao publicly offended him during a televised Council Of Ministers meeting.
Mr Carrascalao said Mr Gusmao offended him during a televised meeting by accusing him of being stupid, incompetent and a liar.
He also told Radio Australia, some people may have been against his continuing his department's work to end corruption in East Timor.
“I do believe that some people that are really involved in corruption, they saw that my office had been very tough in that matter, trying to investigate everything, so they want me out,” he said.
But he denies that his resignation will cause East Timor's fragile coalition to collapse.
The government has issued a lengthy statement rejecting Mr Carrascalao's allegations and has accused him of incompetence.
It said the deputy prime minister had demonstrated a “lack of understanding of simple budget concepts” when he refused to sign off on the supply of funds for government purchases due to concerns over graft.
“The government deeply regrets that Deputy Prime Minister Mario Carrascalao has made unsubstantiated allegations about corruption,” it said.
Mr Carrascalao says he is now considering his political future.
“The only thing I have to do, to decide, whether to go back to my position or enjoy life,” he said.
The Timorese newspaper Tempo Semanal has obtained a copy of Mr Carrascalao's five-page letter of resignation to the Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao.
The resignation brings to a head a bitter split between the two men.
They have recently had disagreements over the handling of government contracts.
|
