IFES Election Guide - Election Profile for Timor-Leste

Election Profile:

Overview

Results

Of Interest/Links

Sources

Country: Timor-Leste
Official Name: Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
Election Type: Presidential
First Round: April 9, 2007
Second Round: May 9, 2007

At stake in this election:

The office of President of Timor-Leste

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: President Kay Rala Xanana GUSM�ƒO *
Head of Government: Prime Minister José RAMOSHORTA **
Assembly: Timor-Leste has a unicameral National Parliament with 88 seats.

* If no candidate obtains a majority in the first-round election, a second round is held between the two candidates with the highest votes in the first-round.

** Prime Minister Mari Bin Amude ALKATIRI resigned on June 26, 2006. RAMOSHORTA was sworn in as Timor-Leste Prime Minister on July 10, 2006.

Description of electoral system:

The President is elected by absolute majority vote to serve a 5-year term.
In the National Parliament 65 members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system to serve 5-year terms.***

*** Timor-Leste has a unicameral National Parliament, presently comprised of 88 members on an exceptional basis. The National Parliament to be elected later in 2007 will be composed of 65 representatives.

Main Candidates in the Second Round of the Presidential race:

José RAMOS-HORTA
Party: Independent Candidate
Francisco GUTERRES
Party: Revolutionary Front of an Independent Timor-Leste (FRETILIN)

Main Candidates in the First Round of the Presidential race:

Francisco Xavier do AMARAL
Party: Timorese Social Democratic Association (ASDT)
Fernando de ARAUJO
Party: Democratic Party (PD)
João CARRASCALÃO
Party: Democratic Timorese Party (UDT)
Francisco GUTERRES
Party: Revolutionary Front of an Independent Timor-Leste (FRETILIN)
Lucia LOBATO
Party: Social Democrat Party (PSD)
José RAMOS-HORTA
Party: Independent Candidate
Avelino Coelho da SILVA
Party: Timorese Socialist Party (PST)
Manuel TILMAN********
Party: Sons of the Mountain Warriors (KOTA)

******** The Sons of the Mountain Warriors (KOTA) party is also known as the Association of Timorese Heroes.

Last Presidential election:

The last presidential election was held on 14 April 2002. Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO was elected president with 82.7% of the vote against Francisco Xavier do AMARAL who obtained 17.3%.