East Timor or Timor-Leste, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Maritime Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island surrounded by Indonesian West Timor. Australia is the country's southern neighbour, separated by the Timor Sea. The country's size is about 15,410 km2.
A plurality vote or relative majority describes the circumstance when a candidate or proposition polls more votes than any other, but does not receive a majority. For example, if 100 votes were cast, including 45 for Candidate A, 30 for Candidate B and 25 for Candidate C, then Candidate A received a plurality of votes but not a majority. In some votes, the winning candidate or proposition may have only a plurality, depending on the rules of the organization holding the vote.
The Prime Minister of Timor-Leste is the head of government in East Timor. The President is the head of state. The President of East Timor appoints the Prime Minister, after parliamentary elections and have listened to all parties represented in the National Assembly, who is usually the leader of the large party or coalition. The Prime Minister oversees the activities of the government and chairs the Council of Ministers.
Vote counting in this election was conducted differently due to a new law, according to which votes were to be counted at district counting centres, rather than at polling stations as they were formerly.[2] It was required of parties that one out of every four candidates on their candidate lists be women.[3]
The President of East Timor – officially the President of the Democratic Republic of East Timor – is the head of state in East Timor, elected by popular vote for a five-year term. Their executive powers are somewhat limited, though he or she is able to veto legislation. Following elections, the president usually appoints as the prime minister, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition. As head of government the prime minister presides over the cabinet.
Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, GColIH, GCL, GCMG is an East Timorese politician. A former militant, he was the first President of East Timor, serving from May 2002 to May 2007. He then became the fourth Prime Minister of East Timor, serving from 8 August 2007 to 16 February 2015. He has been Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment since February 2015.
The National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction is a political party in East Timor founded by former President Xanana Gusmão in March 2007 in preparation for the 2007 parliamentary election.
In early June, two supporters of the CNRT were killed in pre-election violence at the beginning of the campaign period; the rest of the campaign period was reportedly peaceful, however.[2]
The Timorese Social Democratic Association is a political party in East Timor.
The Social Democratic Party is a centrist political party in East Timor. In the parliamentary election held on 30 August 2001, the party won 8.2% of the popular vote and 6 out of 88 seats. President of PSD is Minister for Foreign Affairs Zacarias da Costa since 7 December 2008.
The Democratic Party or the Democratic Party in Timor-Leste is a centre-left political party in East Timor, established on 10 June, 2001. Currently, most of the members of the party are of the young generation who are studying abroad, and those who have completed their studies in Indonesia, Norway, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
Provisional results announced on show of 9 July FRETILIN in first place with 29.02% of the vote, followed by the CNRT with 24.10%, the ASDT-PSD with 15.73%, and the Democratic Party with 11.30%. On the same day, the electoral commission announced the distribution of seats based on the provisional results: 21 for FRETILIN, 18 for the CNRT, 11 for the ASDT-PSD, 8 for the Democratic Party, 3 for the National Unity Party, 2 for the Democratic Alliance, and 2 for UNDERTIM. To win seats, a party had to receive at least 3% of the vote, and seven parties did not reach this level. The electoral commission placed voter turnout at 80.5%.[1]
Post-election negotiations
With no party receiving a majority of the vote, a coalition government became necessary. Shortly after the election, a CNRT spokesman said that the party was discussing the possibility of forming a coalition with the ASDT-PSD and the Democratic Party.[6] FRETILIN secretary-general Mari Alkatiri also said his party was engaged in coalition talks, but said there was no possibility of the party forming a coalition with the CNRT.[7] PSD leader Mario Viegas Carrascalao said that an alliance of his party with the CNRT would be "natural", but that the presence of a breakaway faction of FRETILIN in the CNRT was "unacceptable".[8] Democratic Party leader Fernando "Lasama" de Araújo said that his party could form a coalition with the CNRT, as there were "no big differences" between it and Gusmão,[9] but also said that there should be a government of national unity including all parties elected to parliament; he argued that it would be harmful to exclude anyone due to what he described as deep differences already existing in the country.[8] President José Ramos-Horta also mentioned the possibility of a national unity government, but Alkatiri, reiterating that a coalition including both FRETILIN and the CNRT was out of the question, said that it would be better for democracy for there to be a strong opposition.[10]
On 6 July, it was announced that the CNRT, the ASDT-PSD, and the Democratic Party would form a coalition.[11] Alkatiri argued that it is not necessary for a party to have a majority of seats to govern, and that FRETILIN could form a minority government;[12] on 7 July, he said that FRETILIN would do so if it could not form a coalition with other parties.[13] However, he subsequently expressed interest in a government of national unity and said that FRETILIN's doors were "open for all parties, including CNRT".[14]
On 16 July, President Ramos-Horta said that FRETILIN and the CNRT-led alliance of parties had agreed to form a national unity government, although details remained to be discussed and it had not been decided who would be prime minister.[15] Negotiations between the parties began regarding the composition of the new government; Ramos-Horta said that he would make the decision if the parties could not reach an agreement.[16] On 24 July, he said that the parties had "not yet reached agreement on a new government", but that his 25 July deadline for the parties to reach an agreement was "flexible".[17] Araújo, as spokesman for the CNRT-led coalition, said that it would propose Gusmão as Prime Minister, arguing that, because the parties in the coalition will hold a combined majority of seats, it is their constitutional right to choose the prime minister. He said that FRETILIN could not expect anything more than to have some ministers in the government.[18]
Parliament was sworn in for its new term on 30 July, although the new government and prime minister were still undecided. Araújo was elected speaker of parliament at the new parliament's first session.[19]
Alkatiri said on 1 August that he would be FRETILIN's candidate for prime minister, while criticising Gusmão's record as president. Ramos-Horta delayed his deadline for forming a government until 3 August.[20] In a statement, Alkatiri called for a national unity government, saying that this would bring stability and citing what he described as "the will of the electorate".[21]
On 3 August, Ramos-Horta said that he would ask the CNRT-led coalition to form a government on 6 August, because of its parliamentary majority, unless an agreement is reached before then. He said that this decision was based on his conscience; he also said that, if FRETILIN is excluded, it would still be needed by the new government and would not be ignored.[22] FRETILIN threatened to boycott parliament.[23]
Ramos-Horta announced on 6 August that the CNRT-led coalition would form the government and that Gusmão would become Prime Minister.[24] FRETILIN denounced Ramos-Horta's decision as unconstitutional, and angry FRETILIN supporters in Dili immediately reacted to Ramos-Horta's announcement with violent protests.[23] On 7 August, Alkatiri said that the party would fight the decision through legal means.[25]
Gusmão was sworn in at the presidential palace in Dili on 8 August;[26] most of his government was also sworn in on the same day.[27][28]José Luís Guterres, the leader of a dissident FRETILIN faction, became Deputy Prime Minister.[28]
Aftermath
Population Displacements 2007 after announcement of new government
An estimated 600 houses and confirmed 142 were burnt by marauding mobs. The majority of the damage was experienced in the areas where FRETILIN's support is strongest between Viqueque and Baucau. A few buildings in Dili were also torched.[30] In Baucau, police said that over 50 people had been arrested for arson.[31]
Alkatiri said that FRETILIN would urge the people to protest and practice civil disobedience. He said that FRETILIN was not responsible for the violence, which he said was the result of the people's frustration, and that he hoped the discontent did not lead to a "people's power" revolt, although he said FRETILIN could not "stop the people protesting for their rights".[31]Arsenio Bano of FRETILIN claimed that his party had been willing to accept an independent prime minister as part of a national unity government, and that Ramos-Horta had also supported this idea, but that Gusmão rejected it because he wanted to be prime minister.[28]
On 10 August, a convent in Baucau was attacked and damaged, and a number of female students at the convent were said to have been raped. The government said that a child had been killed in Viqueque, the first death to be reported in the unrest.[32] On 11 August, a UN convoy of three vehicles was attacked between Baucau and Viqueque. According to FRETILIN, this attack was the result of the destruction by members of the UN force of banners and flags used by protesters.[33]
A few days later, Bano said that FRETILIN would not challenge the government in court, and expressed a desire for a "political solution" leading to the creation of a national unity government.[34] After initially boycotting parliament, the FRETILIN members began attending later in August. Gusmão has reportedly offered FRETILIN positions in the government [35] though this probably refers to the ex-Fretilin members such as José Luís Guterres.
On 23 August, violence occurred in several places, including Dili, and two people were reported killed in Ermera. In Metinaro, near Dili, there was fighting in the streets with machetes and other weapons; at least ten houses were reportedly burned and the town's market was destroyed.[35][36][37]
After all the contradictions occurred with all the violent acts by the population who didn't satisfied with the election yield. Xanana Gusmão, the president of CNRT built an Alliance of Parliament that embraced some parties that wanted to join his party. Eventually, both majority prties (CNRT and Fretilin) agreed with the coalition which is the Alliance of Parliament (AMP - Alianca de Maioria Parlamentar, in Portuguese) to take over the parliament and government.
Related Research Articles
José Manuel Ramos-Horta is an East Timorese politician who was the President of East Timor from 20 May 2007 to 20 May 2012. Previously he was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2002 to 2006 and Prime Minister from 2006 to 2007. He is a co-recipient of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize along with Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, for working "towards a just and peaceful solution to the conflict in East Timor".
Politics of East Timor takes place in a framework of a unitary semi-presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of East Timor is the head of government and the President of East Timor exercises the functions of head of state. East Timor has a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the president and the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Parliament. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The East Timorese constitution was modelled on that of Portugal, though the president is less powerful than their Portuguese counterpart. The country is still in the process of building its administration and governmental institutions. The Economist Intelligence Unit has rated East Timor as "flawed democracy" in 2016.
The Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor is a leftist political party in East Timor. They presently hold 23 of 65 seats in the National Parliament and serve in the opposition. Fretilin formed the government in East Timor from independence until 2007. The party began as a resistance movement that fought for the independence of East Timor, first from Portugal and then from Indonesia, between 1974 and 1998. After East Timor gained its independence from Indonesia, Fretilin became one of several parties competing for power in a multi-party system.
Mari bin Amude Alkatiri, GCIH is a Timorese politician. He was Prime Minister of East Timor from May 2002 until his resignation on 26 June 2006 following weeks of political unrest in the country, and again from September 2017 until May 2018. He is the Secretary-General of the Fretilin party, as well as President of the Special Administrative Region of Oecusse.
The 2006 East Timorese crisis began as a conflict between elements of the military of East Timor over discrimination within the military, and expanded to a coup attempt and general violence throughout the country, centred in the capital Dili. The crisis prompted a military intervention by several other countries and led to the resignation of the Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri.
Alfredo Alves Reinado, sometimes spelled Reinhado, was a major in the military of Timor-Leste, the Timor Leste Defence Force (F-FDTL). He deserted on 4 May 2006 to join approximately 600 former soldiers who had been sacked in March 2006 after complaining of regional discrimination in promotions, sparking the 2006 East Timor crisis. Reinado was one of the leaders of the rebel soldiers, and the highest-ranking deserter.
Presidential elections were held in East Timor in 2007. The first round on 9 April 2007 saw six of the eight candidates eliminated. The remaining two candidates, incumbent Prime Minister José Ramos-Horta and FRETILIN President Francisco Guterres, faced each other in a runoff election on 9 May 2007. Ramos-Horta won the second round with 69% of the vote.
Estanislau da Conceição Aleixo Maria da Silva is an East Timorese politician and a key member of the Fretilin. He was acting Prime Minister from May 2007 to August 2007.
Francisco Guterres, popularly known as Lú-Olo, is an East Timorese politician who has been President of East Timor since 2017. He is also the President of Fretilin, and he was President of the National Parliament of East Timor from 2002 to 2007. As the Fretilin candidate, he stood in the 2007 presidential election and 2012 presidential election, but was defeated in the second round by independent candidates on both occasions. He also contested the 2017 presidential election, and with the support of former Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão and his party, National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT), he was elected as President.
José Luís Guterres is an East Timorese politician and diplomat.
Rogerio Tiago Lobato is an East Timorese politician and former Interior Minister belonging to Fretilin. He was a founding member of the first independent government of East Timor, in 1975, led by Fretilin. He is also the brother of the late Nicolau Lobato, second President of the country who was killed in action after the Indonesian invasion, in late 1978.
Rebel East Timorese soldiers invaded the homes of the President and Prime Minister of East Timor on 11 February 2008, leading to the shooting and serious wounding of President José Ramos-Horta, the shooting up of the car of Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, and the fatal shooting of rebel leader Alfredo Reinado. The attacks have been variously interpreted as attempted assassinations, attempted kidnappings and an attempted coup d'état. The rebels' intentions remain unknown.
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Frente de Reconstrução Nacional de Timor-Leste - Mudança, commonly known as Frenti-Mudança, is a political party in East Timor led by Vice-Prime minister José Luís Guterres.
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Mário Viegas Carrascalão was an East Timorese politician and diplomat. Carrascalão, a founder of the Timorese Democratic Union [UDT) in 1974 and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 2000, served as the Governor of East Timor from 1983 to 1992 during the Indonesian occupation of the country. However, he re-joined the East Timorese government following the 1999 independence referendum and the transition to independence. He later served as a Deputy Prime Minister within the IV Constitutional Government of then-Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão from 2009 to 2010.
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