2001 East Timorese parliamentary election

Last updated

2001 East Timorese parliamentary election
Flag of the United Nations.svg
  1999 30 August 2001 2007  

All 88 seats in the Constituent Assembly
Turnout86.03%
PartyLeader%Seats
Fretilin Mari Alkatiri 57.3755
Democratic Fernando de Araújo 8.727
PSD Mário Viegas Carrascalão 8.186
ASDT Francisco Xavier do Amaral 7.846
UDT João Viegas Carrascalão 2.362
PNT Aliança de Araújo 2.212
KOTA Leão Pedro dos Reis Amaral 2.132
PPT Jacob Xavier 2.012
PDC António Ximenes 1.982
PST Pedro dos Mártires da Costa 1.781
Liberal Armando da Silva 1.101
UDC Vicente Guterres 0.661
Independents António da Costa Lelan 1.471
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
2001 East Timorese parliamentary election - Results by municipality.svg
Most voted-for party by district and results by constituency
Prime Minister-designate
Mari Alkatiri
Fretilin

Constituent Assembly elections were held in East Timor on 30 August 2001, the second anniversary of the independence referendum. One member was elected from each of the country's thirteen districts, whilst a further 75 were elected by proportional representation. [1] The result was a victory for Fretilin, which won 55 of the 88 seats. Voter turnout was 93%. [2] Following the election the Constituent Assembly nominated a transitional Council of Ministers with Mari Alkatiri as Chief Minister. [3]

Contents

Background

The elections were held to elect 88 members of a constituent assembly (the precursor of the National Parliament), which would be in charge of drafting the first constitution of the Asian country. These were the first free and fair elections to take place on Timorese territory in its entire history after the end of the Portuguese colonial period and the occupation by Indonesia (1975-1999). The elections were managed by the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) to begin the second phase of the transition to full independence, after most of the Timorese infrastructure was destroyed by pro-Indonesian militias following the August 1999 independence referendum.

Of the 88 seats in the Constituent Assembly, 13 would be elected by uninominal majority vote in representation of the thirteen districts that make up the country, while the remaining 75 would be elected by proportional representation by lists. Seventeen parties presented lists for the election. [4]

Results

Timor Leste Assemblee constituante 2001.svg
PartyVotes%Seats
Fretilin 208,53157.3755
Democratic Party 31,6808.727
Social Democratic Party 29,7268.186
Timorese Social Democratic Association 28,4957.846
Timorese Democratic Union 8,5812.362
Timorese Nationalist Party 8,0352.212
Association of Timorese Heroes 7,7352.132
People's Party of Timor 7,3222.012
Christian Democratic Party 7,1811.982
Socialist Party of Timor 6,4831.781
Liberal Party 4,0131.101
Christian Democratic Union of Timor 2,4130.661
Timorese Popular Democratic Association 2,1810.600
Timorese Labor Party 2,0260.560
National Republic Party of East Timor1,9700.540
Maubere Democratic Party1,7880.490
Independents5,3411.471
Total363,501100.0088
Valid votes363,50194.60
Invalid/blank votes20,7475.40
Total votes384,248100.00
Registered voters/turnout446,66686.03
Source: Ying, Elections Today, IDEA

Aftermath

The Constituent Assembly was installed and invested a local autonomous government on 20 September led by a Council of Ministers, the first elected government in the country's history. Fretilin's Secretary General, Mari Alkatiri, took over as President of the Council of Ministers in coalition with the PD, with a two-thirds majority. On 20 May 2002 the United Nations protectorate came to an end and the territory became independent as the Democratic Republic of East Timor. The Constituent Assembly was reconstituted as the National Parliament, and the government of Alkatiri (who changed his position to Prime Minister) became the first constitutional government. [1] [3]

The Assembly had the mandate of preparing a constitution. It had to be approved by at least 60 of the 88 members within 90 days of the Assembly's first sitting. [1] The new constitution was promulgated in March 2002, [5] and following independence on 20 May, served as its first Parliament. Presidential elections were held in April 2002 in which Xanana Gusmão was victorious.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xanana Gusmão</span> 3rd president and 5th prime minister of East Timor

José Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmão is an East Timorese politician. He has served as the 6th prime minister of East Timor since 2023, previously serving in that position from 2007 to 2015. A former rebel, he also served as East Timor's first president since its re-establishment of independence, from 2002 to 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of East Timor</span> Account of the country of East Timor

East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. The country comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor and the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco. The first inhabitants are thought to be descendant of Australoid and Melanesian peoples. The Portuguese began to trade with Timor by the early 16th century and colonised it throughout the mid-century. Skirmishing with the Dutch in the region eventually resulted in an 1859 treaty for which Portugal ceded the western half of the island. Imperial Japan occupied East Timor during World War II, but Portugal resumed colonial authority after the Japanese surrender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of East Timor</span> Political system of East Timor

The political system in East Timor is 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 functions as 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, with lesser power given to the president. The country is still in the process of building its administration and governmental institutions. The Economist Intelligence Unit rated East Timor a "flawed democracy" in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fretilin</span> East Timorese political party and former resistance movement

The Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor is a centre-left political party in East Timor. It presently holds 23 of 65 seats in the National Parliament. Fretilin formed the government in East Timor until its independence in 2002. It obtained the presidency in 2017 under Francisco Guterres but lost in the 2022 East Timorese presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mari Alkatiri</span> 2nd Prime Minister of East Timor (2002–06; 2017–18)

Mari bin Amude Alkatiri 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 and was the former President of the Special Administrative Region of Oecusse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Parliament (East Timor)</span> Legislature of the Southeast Asian state

The National Parliament is the unicameral national legislature in East Timor. It was created in 2001 as the Constituent Assembly while the country was still administered by the United Nations, but renamed itself to the National Parliament with the attaining of national independence on 20 May 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 East Timorese parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in East Timor on 30 June 2007. The new composition of East Timor's national parliament was determined by the country's population. 529,198 voters were entitled to vote, 708 polling stations were ready.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction</span> East Timorese political party founded in 2007

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francisco Guterres</span> Former President of East Timor

Francisco Guterres, popularly known as Lú-Olo, is an East Timorese politician who served as 6th president of East Timor from 2017 to 2022. He is also the president of the political party Fretilin, and he was the first president of the National Parliament of East Timor from 2002 to 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">José Luís Guterres</span> East Timorese politician and diplomat

José Luís Guterres is an East Timorese politician and diplomat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitution of East Timor</span>

The Constitution of East Timor entered into force on 20 May 2002, and was the country's first constitution after it gained independence from Portugal in 1975 and from Indonesia, which invaded East Timor on 7 December 1975 and left in 1999 following a UN-sponsored referendum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adaljiza Magno</span> East Timorese politician and diplomat

Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno is an East Timorese politician and diplomat, and a member of the Fretilin political party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 East Timorese parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in East Timor on 22 July 2017. Fretilin narrowly emerged as the largest party in the National Parliament, winning 23 seats to the 22 won by the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction, which had been the largest party in the outgoing Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 East Timorese parliamentary election</span>

Early parliamentary elections were held in East Timor on 12 May 2018 after the National Parliament was dissolved by President Francisco Guterres on 26 January 2018.

Maria Madalena Brites Boavida is an East Timorese politician, a member of FRETILIN, and a former Minister of Planning and Finance in the National Parliament of East Timor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariano Sabino Lopes</span>

Mariano Sabino Lopes, also known by his nom de guerreAssanami, is an East Timorese politician and a member of the Democratic Party (PD).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florentina da Conceição Pereira Martins Smith</span> East Timorese politician

Florentina da Conceição Pereira Martins Smith is an East Timorese politician, and a member of the Fretilin political party. Between September 2017 and June 2018, she was the Minister for Social Solidarity under the VII Constitutional Government of East Timor led by Mari Alkatiri. Previously, between 2012 and 2017, she was a member of the National Parliament of East Timor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jorge Teme</span> East Timorese politician and diplomat

Jorge da Conceição Teme is an East Timorese politician and diplomat. Initially, he was a member of the Fretilin political party, but he left that party in 2011 to join the Frenti-Mudança party. He has been Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, East Timorese Ambassador to Australia, Secretary of State for the Region of Oecusse and Minister of State Administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Administered East Timor</span> United Nations protectorate (1999–2002)

United Nations Administered East Timor refers to the period between 25 October 1999 and 20 May 2002 when East Timor was administered by the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor as a United Nations protectorate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic Republic of East Timor (1975)</span> Short-lived unilaterally proclaimed state

The Democratic Republic of East Timor, was a state that was unilaterally proclaimed on the territory of present-day East Timor on 28 November 1975 prior to the Indonesian invasion of East Timor nine days later on 7 December 1975.

References

  1. 1 2 3 On the election of a Constituent Assembly to prepare a constitution for an independent and democratic East Timor United Nations
  2. Timor-Leste: Elections held in 2001 Inter-Parliamentary Union
  3. 1 2 On the establishment of the Council of Ministers United Nations
  4. Azul 2, Malai (17 August 2006). "Timor Online - Em directo de Timor-Leste: Resultados das eleições de 2001". Timor Online - Em directo de Timor-Leste. Retrieved 17 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. Constitution of East Timor Government of East Timor

Commons-logo.svg Media related to 2001 East Timorese parliamentary election at Wikimedia Commons