Armanda Berta dos Santos

Armanda Berta dos Santos is an East Timorese politician, and the leader of the Kmanek Haburas Unidade Nasional Timor Oan (KHUNTO) political party. She is the more senior of East Timor's two incumbent Deputy Prime Ministers, serving since May 2020 under the VIII Constitutional Government of East Timor led by Taur Matan Ruak. She is also the incumbent Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, serving in that position since the government was formed in June 2018.

Armanda Berta dos Santos
Santos in 2020
Deputy Prime Minister of East Timor
Assumed office
29 May 2020 (2020-05-29)
Serving with José Reis
Prime MinisterTaur Matan Ruak
Preceded byOffice re-established
Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion
Assumed office
22 June 2018 (2018-06-22)
Prime MinisterTaur Matan Ruak
Preceded byFlorentina da Conceição Pereira Martins Smith
Member of the National Parliament
In office
2017–2018
Personal details
Political partyKHUNTO
Spouse(s)José dos Santos Bucar

Political career

Santos has been KHUNTO's leader since its foundation in 2011.[1] In the 2012 East Timorese parliamentary election, KHUNTO won 2.97% of the popular vote, and therefore failed by only 150 votes to overcome the 3% electoral threshold and have two members elected to the National Parliament.[2]

In the 2017 parliamentary election, Santos was elected to the National Parliament as the party's list leader.[3] She also became Vice-Chairman of the Committee for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications (Committee-E) and a member of the Committee for Economic Affairs and Development (Committee-D).[4]

In the early election in 2018, Santos was ranked #3 in the Alliance for Change and Progress (AMP), of which KHUNTO was a part, and was again elected to the National Parliament.[5] On 22 June 2018, she was sworn in as Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion in the new VIII Constitutional Government, and therefore automatically had to give up her parliamentary seat.[6][7]

Following the breakdown of the AMP coalition in the first few months of 2020, the CNRT, which had been the lead party in that coalition, decided on 30 April 2020 that its members serving in the VIII Constitutional Government would resign their positions. The CNRT informed the Prime Minister of its decision on 8 May 2020,[8] but KHUNTO continued to support the government. On 12 May 2020, the government approved the creation of two new positions of Deputy Prime Minister,[9] and on 29 May 2020, Santos was sworn in as holder of one of those new positions, while retaining her role as Minister for Social Solidarity and Inclusion.[10]

Personal life

Santos is married to José dos Santos Naimori Bucar, the leader of Kmanek Oan Rai Klaran (KORK), a ritual arts group in East Timor.[1][2] Naimori is also the founder of KHUNTO, but chose to assume only the position of adviser to the party, with Santos taking on the leadership.[1]

References
  1. Martins, Jorge (23 May 2018). "Eleições em Timor-leste: maioria da coligação de Xanana não garante estabilidade" [East Timor elections: majority of Xanana coalition does not guarantee stability]. Esquerda (in Portuguese). Bloco de Esquerda. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  2. Pawelz, Janina; Myrttinen, Henri (2012). "Wahlen in Timor-Leste: Feuerprobe für Sicherheit und Konsolidierung" [Timor-Leste Elections: Trial by fire for security and consolidation] (PDF). GIGA Focus (in German). German Institute of Global and Area Studies (7/2012): 6. ISSN 1862-359X. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  3. "2017 Timor-Leste Parliamentary Election: List of Parliamentary slates from all parties" (PDF) (Press release). La'o Hamutuk: Timor-Leste Institute for Development Monitoring & Analysis. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  4. "Comissões Especializadas Permanentes » Competencia e Composição" [Permanent Specialised Committees » Competencies and Composition] (in Portuguese). 2017. Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  5. "Aviso: Lista Definitiva de Candidaturas Eleição Parlamentar 12 de Maio de 2018" [Notice: Final List of Candidates Parliamentary Election 12 May 2018] (PDF) (Press release) (in Portuguese). Democratic Republic of East Timor. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  6. Luso (22 June 2018). "Primeiro grupo de membros do VIII Governo timorense tomou posse em Díli" [First group of members of the VIII Timorese Government take office in Dili]. SAPO 24 (in Portuguese). Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  7. "Structure of the VIII Constitutional Government". Government of Timor-Leste. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  8. Soares Martins, Evaristo (11 May 2020). "CNRT Members Told to Resign from Council of Ministers". Tatoli. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  9. Soares Martins, Evaristo (14 May 2020). "PM Taur Matan Ruak Gains Two Deputies in Government Restructure". Tatoli. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  10. Colo, Cipriano (29 May 2020). "Eight New Members Sworn into TL Cabinet". Tatoli. Retrieved 28 June 2020.

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