Francisco “Lu Olo” Guterres is scheduled to visit Australia on September 21, and then continue to the United States, Indonesia, the Vatican and the African continent in December 2018.

Abel Pires, from the People's Liberation Party (PLP), rebuked the proposed travel schedule on Thursday over its timing saying domestic issues needed prioritisation.

"Two situations that must be addressed by the President of the Republic, immediately promulgate the budget and the nine members of the Government who have still not been inaugurated," Pires said.

Pires and other members of the Alliance for Change and Progress (AMP) coalition government said they were not convinced they would approved the visit, saying it would be discussed in Parliament on Monday.

But Mariano Assanami Sabino, President of the Democratic Party, said his party supported the travel and that internal issues within the AMP government should not affect the work of Timor-Leste’s head of state.

Choosing his words carefully during question time in Parliament on Thursday, Sabino said outstanding governance structure issues were the failings of the AMP government not the Presidents.

He said foreign visits were critical to “bringing Timor-Leste to the world.”

Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak confirmed on Thursday that he had promising discussions with Lu Olo about the 2018 budget but the President was still studying the proposed budget.