title: VIII Constitutional Government of East Timor
text: # VIII Constitutional Government of East Timor
  
  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)
  
  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).
  
  The Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Secretaries of State appointed to form the government as from 22 June 2018 until the government was restructured in mid-2020 were:
  
  ### Ministers
  
  | Party | 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) |
  | 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) |
  | 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) |
  | 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
  
  | Party | Deputy Minister | Portfolio |
  | - | - | - |
  | CNRT | Sara Lobo Brites | Deputy Minister of Finance |
  | CNRT | Abílio José Caetano | Deputy Minister of State Administration (22 June 2018 – 25 May 2020) |
  | CNRT | Élia dos Reis Amaral [de] | Deputy Minister of Health (22 June 2018 – 3 April 2020) |
  | PLP | Bonifácio dos Reis [de] | Deputy Minister of Health |
  | KHUNTO | João Zacarias Freitas Soares | Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Sports |
  | PLP | Signi Verdial [de] | Deputy Minister for Social Solidarity |
  | KHUNTO | Nicolau Lino Freitas Belo | Deputy Minister of Public Works |
  
  ### Secretaries of State
  
  | Party | 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) |
  | 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) |
  | 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)
  
  Following a breakdown of the AMP coalition during the first few months of 2020, the government was restructured on 12 May 2020, new officials were appointed on 29 May and 24 June 2020.
  
  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". 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."
  
  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."
  
  Since the government's restructure, the Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Secretaries of State in the government have been as stated in the tables below.
  
  In March 2022, six officials in the government were replaced. The first four replacement officials were sworn in on 22 March 2022, and the remaining two on 31 March 2022. Details of all of those officials, including the dates of their cessation or commencement in office, are included in the tables below.
  
  On 1 July 2023, the government was replaced by the IX Constitutional Government.
  
  ### Ministers
  
  | Party | Minister | Portfolio |
  | - | - | - |
  | PLP | Taur Matan Ruak | Prime Minister Minister of the Interior Leader of the People's Liberation Party |
  | KHUNTO | Armanda Berta dos Santos | Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Social Solidarity and Inclusion |
  | Fretilin | José Maria dos Reis | Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Planning and Territory |
  | PLP | Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhães | Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers |
  | Fretilin | Joaquim Amaral | Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs |
  | Fretilin | Francisco Martins da Costa Pereira Jerónimo | Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Social Communication |
  | Fretilin | Fernando Hanjam | Minister of Finance (29 May 2020 – 5 November 2020) |
  | Independent | Rui Augusto Gomes | Minister of Finance (23 November 2020 – 1 July 2023) |
  | Fretilin | Adaljíza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno | Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation |
  | PLP | Manuel Cárceres da Costa | Minister of Justice (22 June 2018 – 22 March 2022) |
  | | Tiago Amaral Sarmento | Minister of Justice (22 March 2022 – 1 July 2023) |
  | Fretilin | Miguel Pereira de Carvalho | Minister of State Administration |
  | Fretilin | Odete Maria Freitas Belo | Minister of Health |
  | Fretilin | Armindo Maia | Minister of Education, Youth and Sport |
  | PLP | Longuinhos dos Santos | Minister of Higher Education, Science and Culture |
  | PD | Júlio Sarmento da Costa "Meta Mali" | Minister for the Affairs of National Liberation Combatants |
  | PLP | Salvador Soares dos Reis Pires | Minister of Public Works (22 June 2018 – 22 March 2022) |
  | PLP | Abel Pires da Silva | Minister of Public Works (22 March 2022 – 1 July 2023) |
  | KHUNTO | José Agustinho da Silva | Minister of Transport and Communications |
  | Fretilin | José Lucas do Carmo da Silva | Minister of Tourism, Trade and Industry |
  | KHUNTO | Pedro dos Reis | Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries |
  | Independent | Filomeno da Paixão de Jesus | Minister of Defense |
  | Fretilin | Víctor da Conceição Soares | Minister of Petroleum and Minerals |
  
  ### Deputy Ministers
  
  | Party | Deputy Minister | Portfolio |
  | - | - | - |
  | Independent | Sara Lobo Brites | Deputy Minister of Finance (22 June 2018 – 22 March 2022) |
  | | António Freitas [de] | Deputy Minister of Finance (22 March 2022 – July 2023) |
  | KHUNTO | Julião da Silva | Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation |
  | KHUNTO | José Edmundo Caetano | Deputy Minister of Justice |
  | Fretilin | Lino de Jesus Torrezão | Deputy Minister of State Administration |
  | PLP | Bonifácio Maucoli dos Reis | Deputy Minister of Health |
  | KHUNTO | António Guterres | Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Sport |
  | PLP | Signi Chandrawati Verdial | Deputy Minister of Social Solidarity |
  | KHUNTO | Nicolau Lino Freitas Belo | Deputy Minister of Public Works |
  | Fretilin | Inácia da Conceição Teixeira | Deputy Minister of Community and Cultural Tourism |
  | Fretilin | Domingos Lopes Antunes | Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry |
  | KHUNTO | Abílio Xavier de Araújo | Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries |
  | KHUNTO | António Armindo | Deputy Minister of the Interior |
  
  ### Secretaries of State
  
  | Party | Secretary of State | Portfolio |
  | - | - | - |
  | KHUNTO | Alarico de Rosário | Secretary of State for Vocational Training and Employment |
  | Fretilin | Elizário Ferreira | Secretary of State for Cooperatives |
  | PLP | Demetrio do Amaral de Carvalho | Secretary of State for the Environment |
  | PLP | Merício Juvenal dos Reis "Akara" | Secretary of State for Communications |
  | KHUNTO | Mário Ximenes | Secretary of State for Land and Property (22 June 2018 – 31 March 2022) |
  | KHUNTO | Eldino Rodrigues dos Santos [de] | Secretary of State for Land and Property (22 March 2022 – 1 July 2023) |
  | Fretilin | Abrão Saldanha | Secretary of State for Youth and Sport |
  | 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 (22 June 2018 – c. 14 March 2022) |
  | | Júlio da Conceição "Loro Mesak" | Secretary of State for the Affairs of Combatants of National Liberation (22 March 2022 – 1 July 2023) |
  | KHUNTO | Elídio de Araújo | Secretary of State for Fisheries |
  | KHUNTO | Joaquim José Gusmão dos Reis Martins | Secretary of State for Civil Protection |
  | PLP | Maria José da Fonseca Monteiro de Jesus [de] | Secretary of State for Equality and Inclusion (22 June 2018 – 31 March 2022) |
  | PLP | Maria do Rosário Fátima Correia [de] | Secretary of State for Equality and Inclusion (22 March 2022 – 1 July 2023) |
  