Timor-Leste’s Minster of Parliamentary Affairs and Social Communications Francisco

Martins da Costa Pereira Jerónimo inaugurated Belo into the top spot in National Parliament on Tuesday, replacing Francisco Gary.

Announcing the transition, Jerónimo said he was confident Belo could usher in “significant change” needed to drive quality reporting. 

Belo was the founder of the uncompromising weekly Tempo Semanal and a past President of the Timor-Leste Press Union.

Belo said in his inauguration speech that the government must adequately fund RTTL so “that it can provide balanced and credible information” to the public, in-particular “information about government-owned institutions.”