Timor-Leste Withdraws Plan for Free Cars for Lawmakers Amid Widespread Protests

Sat Oct 18 2025 21:19:17 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Following mass protests against a proposed scheme to provide legislators with free cars, the government of Timor-Leste has scrapped the plan. The demonstrations reflected deeper dissatisfaction with the privileges of lawmakers in a country grappling with poverty and high inequality.

Timor-Leste has revoked its proposal to grant state cars to its MPs in response to significant public outcry. Initial protests focused on the car scheme but have broadened to address issues of lawmakers' pensions and perceived injustices affecting the populace. Thousands marched in the capital, Dili, signaling growing discontent with government practices amid rising inequality and youth unemployment.

Timor-Leste has scrapped a plan to give its lawmakers free cars after thousands of people took to the streets to protest against it.

On Tuesday, demonstrators burned tyres and set a government vehicle alight, while police responded with tear gas - hours later, the government bowed to public pressure and dropped the plan.

Despite this, many returned to the streets, with one protester telling the BBC that they estimated a turnout of around 2,000 demonstrators in the capital Dili on Wednesday.

Though the protests were initially triggered by the cars, they have now expanded to cover calls to remove lifetime pensions for retired lawmakers.

The unrest comes as governments across Asia, from Nepal to Indonesia, have been rocked by angry young protesters taking aim at the perceived excesses of lawmakers.

One student, who has chosen not to be identified, told the BBC that she was hit by tear gas while she was in front of her university campus.

She expresses her anger at lawmakers wanting to buy luxury cars while their people are suffering.

Lawmakers in Timor-Leste have an annual basic salary of $36,000 (£26,377) as of 2023, which is more than 10 times the country's average income estimated at around $3,000 in 2021.

The plan to buy lawmakers cars is not a new one. In fact, there have been regular demonstrations against free cars provided to lawmakers since the 2000s. According to Cezario Cesar, one of the key figures leading the protests, this week's demonstrations blew up because 'people are tired of things.'

The protests were fueled by persistent issues such as a lack of access to education, clean water, and sanitation, highlighting growing dissatisfaction with legislative actions that seem to favor lawmakers rather than the general populace.

Parliamentarians voted unanimously on Tuesday to scrap the plan to buy new Toyota Prado SUVs for each of the country's 65 MPs. However, protests continued with skepticism regarding the policy reversal, as some demonstrators suspect that the cars are still en route.

Timor-Leste has one of the youngest populations in Southeast Asia, with over 70% of its residents under the age of 35. The country is one of the poorest in the region but is often praised for its democratic governance.

Fidelis Leite Magalhães, a former minister, referred to the protests as an integral part of the democratic process, noting that citizens no longer panic during such gatherings. Comparatively, similar protests in neighboring countries like Nepal have led to significant political outcomes, reflecting a broader regional trend of youth activism against government corruption and inequality.