VIII Constitutional Government of East Timor

VIII Constitutional Government
VIII Constitutional Government
; VIII Constitutional Government of East Timor
	Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak
Date formed	22 June 2018
Date dissolved	1 July 2023
People and organisations
Presidents	Francisco Guterres; (22 June 2018 – 20 May 2022); José Ramos-Horta; (20 May 2022 – 1 July 2023);
Prime Minister	Taur Matan Ruak
No. of ministers	22 June 2018–12 May 2020:; 1 Prime Minister; 11 other Ministers; 7 Deputy Ministers; 10 Secretaries of State; 24 June 2020–1 July 2023:; 1 Prime Minister; 2 Deputy Prime Ministers; 17 other Ministers; 12 Deputy Ministers; 11 Secretaries of State;
Member parties	22 June 2018–25 May 2020:; Alliance for Change and Progress; (CNRT–PLP–KHUNTO); 24 June 2020–1 July 2023:; Fretilin–PLP–KHUNTO–PD;
Status in legislature	22 June 2018–17 January 2020:; Majority 34 / 65 (52%) ; 24 June 2020–21 May 2023:; Majority 41 / 65 (63%) ;
History
Election	2018
Predecessor	VII Constitutional Government
Successor	IX Constitutional Government

The VIII Constitutional Government (Portuguese: VIII Governo Constitucional, Tetum: VIII Governu Konstitusionál) was the eighth Constitutional Government (administration or cabinet) under the Constitution of East Timor. Formed on 22 June 2018, and restructured in mid-2020, it was led by the country's seventh Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak, and was replaced by the IX Constitutional Government on 1 July 2023.

Initial (AMP) composition (22 June 2018–24 June 2020)

The Government at its swearing in

Initially, the VIII Constitutional Government was drawn from and supported by a coalition known as the Alliance for Change and Progress (AMP), which was made up of the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT), the People's Liberation Party (PLP) and Kmanek Haburas Unidade Nasional Timor Oan (KHUNTO).^[1]

The Ministers, Deputy Ministers^{[note 1]} and Secretaries of State appointed to form the government as from 22 June 2018 until the government was restructured in mid-2020 were:^[2]^[3]

Ministers

	Minister	Portfolio
PLP	Taur Matan Ruak	Prime Minister Leader of the People's Liberation Party
CNRT	Hermenegildo Ágio Pereira	Minister of State of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (22 June 2018 – 12 May 2020)^[4]^[5]
PLP	Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhães	Minister for Legislative Reform and Parliamentary Affairs
CNRT	Dionísio da Costa Babo Soares	Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (22 June 2018 – 25 May 2020)^[5]
Independent	Manuel Cárceres da Costa	Minister of Justice
CNRT	Dulce de Jesus Soares	Minister of Education, Youth and Sports (22 June 2018 – 25 May 2020)^[5]
PLP	Longuinhos dos Santos	Minister of Higher Education, Science and Culture
KHUNTO	Armanda Berta dos Santos	Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion
Independent	Salvador Soares dos Reis Pires	Minister of Public Works
KHUNTO	José Agustinho da Silva	Minister of Transport and Communications
KHUNTO	Joaquim José Gusmão dos Reis Martins	Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
Independent	Filomeno da Paixão de Jesus	Minister of Defense

Deputy Ministers

	Deputy Minister^{[note 1]}	Portfolio
CNRT	Sara Lobo Brites	Deputy Minister of Finance
CNRT	Abílio José Caetano	Deputy Minister of State Administration (22 June 2018 – 25 May 2020)^[5]
CNRT	Élia dos Reis Amaral [de]	Deputy Minister of Health (22 June 2018 – 3 April 2020)^[6]
PLP	Bonifácio dos Reis [de]	Deputy Minister of Health
KHUNTO	João Zacarias Freitas Soares	Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Sports
PLP	Signi Verdial	Deputy Minister for Social Solidarity
KHUNTO	Nicolau Lino Freitas Belo	Deputy Minister of Public Works

Secretaries of State

	Secretary of State	Portfolio
KHUNTO	Julião da Silva	Secretary of State of Vocational Training and Employment
CNRT	Arsénio Pereira da Silva	Secretary of State for Cooperatives (22 June 2018 – 25 May 2020)^[5]
PLP	Demetrio do Amaral de Carvalho	Secretary of State for the Environment
PLP	Merício Juvenal dos Reis Akara	Secretary of State for Social Communications
KHUNTO	Mário Ximenes	Secretary of State for Land and Property
CNRT	Nélio Isaac Sarmento [de]	Secretary of State for Youth and Sport (22 June 2018 – 25 May 2020)^[5]
PLP	Teófilo Caldas	Secretary of State for Arts and Culture
KHUNTO	Gil da Costa Monteiro Oan Soru	Secretary of State for the Affairs of Combatants of National Liberation
Independent	Alexandrino de Araújo	Secretary of State for Civil Protection
PLP	Maria José da Fonseca Monteiro de Jesus [de]	Secretary of State for Equality and Inclusion

Restructured composition (24 June 2020–1 July 2023)

The restructured government, 24 June 2020

Following a breakdown of the AMP coalition during the first few months of 2020, the government was restructured on 12 May 2020,^[4]^[5] new officials were appointed on 29 May^[7]^[8] and 24 June 2020.^[9]

At the swearing-in ceremony held on 29 May 2020, the Prime Minister said that the swearing-in of the government's new members aimed to "ensure the restoration of governing normality".^[10] He added that the Government intended:

"... with this reshaping, to pave the way for political stability that allows the contribution and involvement of all Timorese, regardless of the ideology they have, the party of which they are members or the aspirations they have towards the country."^[10]

He also said that:

"...the construction of the future of our nation does not dispense with the contribution of any Timorese and it is with awareness of this fact that the Eight Constitutional Government opens itself to the participation of new political forces in an effort of concertation and dialogue that is fundamental to ensure that Timor-Leste and the Timorese can aspire to a more prosperous and happy future."^[10]

Since the government's restructure, the Ministers, Deputy Ministers^{[note 1]} and Secretaries of State in the government have been as stated in the tables below.^[11]^[12]

In March 2022, six officials in the government were replaced. The first four replacement officials were sworn in on 22 March 2022,^[13]^[14]^[15]^[16] and the remaining two on 31 March 2022.^[17] Details of all of those officials, including the dates of their cessation or commencement in office, are included in the tables below.^[14]^[15]^[16]^[17]

On 1 July 2023, the government was replaced by the IX Constitutional Government.^[18]