Christian Democratic Party (East Timor)
The Partido Democrata Cristão ( Christian Democratic Party ) is a Christian party in East Timor.
Program
The PDC supports the democratic multi-party system with strong emphasis on the role of civil society. People, women and minority rights have thereby a high priority. Justice is a Christian value of the PDC 's view. Education and the health system should be affordable. The introduction of Portuguese as the official language was supported, Tetum should be the national language.
History
Catholic and Protestant leaders founded 1999, the PDC for the first time in Dili. As of August 2000, she appeared with the União Democrata - Crista de Timor (UDC ) on a common leadership. These were Vicente da Silva Guterres (UDC ) and Arlindo Marcal, former Moderator of the Protestant Church of East Timor. The UDC was not a member of the National Council, the PDC. With the Indonesian democracy movement, the PDC was in contact. The PDC was regarded as standing to the left of the UDC, with proximity to FRETILIN. Both parties had their base in the Christian social values.
On August 5, 2000, the Catholic António da Costa Ximenes founded as a spin-off of the UDC / PDC. She was a member of the Conselho Nacional de Resistência Timorense CNRT, the umbrella organization of parties and groups who advocated for East Timor's independence from Indonesia.
Finally merged UDC / PDC and PDC again under the banner of the PDC before the parliamentary elections of 2007. One reason for this was that the PDC headquarters was burned down during the riots in East Timor in 2006. Actively supported the PDC refugees in returning to their homes from West Timor.
In July 2007, the PDC joined with five other parties, who had also failed in the parliamentary elections on 30 June 2007 at the three- percent threshold together to League Democrática Progressiva LDP. The LDP is intended for very different ideological and program participants as a political platform outside parliament.
In the parliamentary elections on 30 August 2001, the PDC was 1.98% of the votes and two seats of 88 in Parliament. Your MEPs were Ximenes and António Gomes Lúcio Marcal. The UDC / PDC won 0.66% and a seat in Parliament. My deputy was Vicente da Silva Guterres, the Congresso Nacional da Reconstrução to Timorense CNRT joined the 2007 election.
In the parliamentary elections on 30 June 2007, the PDC was 1.03% ( 4,300 ) of the valid votes and thus failed at the three- percent threshold. In any district, the party received more than 1.7%. Most support they received in the district Bobonaro, where she received 497 votes ( 1.3%).
Also in 2012 failed the PDC at the three- percent threshold with 0.19 % ( 887 votes). In the district of Ermera she received with 155 still the most votes (0.33 %).
Members
Party Chairman is Antonio Ximenes. He studied in Indonesia, Flores among others. His political education he acquired on Java in the Indonesian Christian Party PDKB. He currently teaches at the University of Dili.
The Deputy Chairman is José Gomes Sereno. He studied agriculture in Solo / Indonesia.
The former general secretary Rev. Arlindo Marcal Francisco was the head of the Protestant Church of East Timor earlier. He studied in Kupang and Yogyakarta / Indonesia and played a crucial role in the founding of the NGO Yayasan HAK ( Human Rights Foundation ). In May 2007, he was the East Timorese ambassador to Indonesia. Marcal was replaced as General Secretary by Júlio Pereira.