Timor Leste
Capital: Dili Type of Government: Democratic Republic
Structure of Legislature: Unicameral
EXECUTIVE
Head of State (President of the
Republic)
The President is the Supreme
Commander of the Armed
Forces.
The President has a term of
office of five years.
The President of the Republics
term of office may be
renewed only once.
The President is able to
promulgate laws or veto
legislation.
The President is able to
dissolve the National
Parliament and dismiss the
Government.
The President is able to give
amnesty &grant pardons.
The President is able to call
national elections.
The President is able to
declare a state of siege and
emergency, declare war and
make peace.
The President is able to
appoint, swear in and remove
the Prime Minister and
Government Members from
office.
The President is able to
appoint the President of the
Supreme Court and swear in
Main Religion: Christianity
LEGISLATIVE
National Parliament (Parlamento Nacional)
The National Parliament is the organ
of sovereignty with legislative
supervisory and political decision
making powers.
The National Parliament is a
unicameral parliament with one,
nationwide constituency. It is
composed of a minimum of fifty-two
(52) and a maximum of sixty-five (65)
members and the members have a
term of office of five years.
The National Parliament makes laws
on basic issues of the countrys
domestic and foreign policy.
The National Parliament is able to
ratify appointments of the President
of the Republic.
The National Parliament may,
following proposal by one-quarter of
the Members, pass a vote of no
confidence on the Government with
respect to the implementation of its
program or any relevant matter of
national interest.
The National Parliament is able to
deliberate progress reports of the
Government and deliberate the
State Plan and Budget.
The National Parliament approves
and renounces agreements and can
ratify treaties and international
conventions.
Independence: 20 May 2002
JUDICIARY
Supreme Court of Justice
The Supreme Court of Justice
is the highest court of law.
The Supreme Court of Justice
administers justice on matters
of juridical, constitutional
and electoral nature.
Superior Council for the Judiciary
The Superior Council for the
Judiciary is the organ of
conduct and discipline of
the judges. The Superior
Council for the Judiciary
appoints, assigns, transfers
and promotes the judges.
It is composed of:one
designated by the President
of the Republic,
one elected by the National
Parliament, and one
designated by the
Government
High Administrative, Tax and Audit
Court
The High Administrative, Tax
and Audit Court is the highest
body in the hierarchy of the
administrative, tax and audit
courts responsible for
monitoring the legality of
Political Culture
Loyalties and support to
political actors by East
Timorese people is not simply
based on the position of key
political contenders within the
former freedom fighting
movement of the Indonesian
era nor on the promises they
made during campaigns but
rather it is in terms of the
indigenous conceptualizations
of leadership by the East
Timorese people.
Leaders are derived from
former liurai (kings) and noble
families and their allies. They
are believed to possess luli
(spiritual potency possessed by
people or through possessing
ancestral objects that are
imbued with it) that is used to
legitimize authority and power.
Catholic Churchs support and
molding of these political elites
had a lasting impact on the
cultural and political
development of Timor Leste.
The scions of families from the
top of the traditional hierarchy
were indoctrinated and
educated by the Jesuit order
of the Catholic Church initially
to prepare them to be part of
the President of High
Administrative, Tax and Audit
Court.
In order to qualify to run for
the presidency, one must be
an original citizen of East
Timor, must be at least 35
years of age, must be in
possession with his/her
faculties, must be proposed
by a minimum of five
thousand voters.
The President is elected by
absolute majority of validly
expressed votes.
The President is elected
through a two-round system
with a 50%+1 threshold system.
If no candidate obtains more
than half of the votes, a
second round shall take place
and only the two candidates
with the highest number of
votes in the first round will
qualify.
Moreover, the Council of State
is the political consultative
body or advisory body to the
head of state. The Council of
State is comprised of former
Presidents of the Republicwho
were not removed from office,
the President of the National
Parliament, the Prime Minister,
five citizens elected by the
National Parliament, five
citizens designated by the
President of the Republic.
The National Parliament grants public expenditure and the Portuguese colonial
amnesty. auditing State accounts. government in Dili.
The National Parliament proposes to Through blatant political
the President the submission to Military Courts rhetoric, elites reinforce their
referendum of issues of national The military courts are image as national heroes
interest. responsible for judging in first and remind the population at
The National Parliament approves instance crimes of military every opportunity that they
revisions of the Constitution by a nature. were leaders in the fight for
majority of two-thirds of the independence. As national
members. heroes, they still maintain
The National Parliament authorizes, cultural legitimacy in a similar
confirms or suspends declaration of manner to founders and
the state of siege and emergency. traditional leaders.
Candidatures for parliamentary
elections must be presented by duly
recognized political parties on party
or coalition lists.
One in every three candidates on
the list must be a woman.
No political party or party coalition
may present more than one list of
candidates.
No one can be a candidate on more
than one list. Each list must contain
the names of 65 candidates and at
least 25 alternative candidates.
The members of the National
Parliament are elected through a
closed-list proportional
representation system. Each voter
selects one list from among the
plurinominal lists presented by
political parties or party coalitions.
There is a 3% threshold to enter
parliament. Seats are allocated
according to the highest average
system, using dHondt method.
Vacancies arising between general
elections are filled by the next-in-
 line candidates. Vacancies by
Head of Government (Prime Minister) women must be filled by the next
The Prime Minister convenes women candidates. It is important to
or chairs the Council of note that the Standing Committee
Ministers. (The Council of sits when the National Parliament is
Ministers is constituted by the dissolved or in recession.
Prime Minister, the Deputy
Prime Ministers and the
Ministers.
The Prime Minister shall be
designated by the political
party or alliance of political
parties with parliamentary
majority.
The Prime Minister shall be
appointed by the President of
the Republic, after
consultation with the political
parties in the National
Parliament.

Government (Executive Branch, with

exclusive legislative powers)
The Government is responsible
for conducting and executing
the general policy.
The Government must develop
its program and submit it to the
National Parliament for
consideration.
The members of the
Government shall be
appointed by the President of
the Republic with the proposal
of the Prime Minister.
The Government defines and
implements the general policy
of the country.
The Government may request
the National Parliament to
take a vote of confidence on
a statement of general policy
or on any relevant matter of
national interest.
The Government ensures
public order and social
discipline.
The Government prepares the
State Plan and Budget.
The Government regulates
economic and social sector
activities.
The Government proposes to
the President the submission to
referendum.
The remaining members of the
Government shall be
appointed by the President of
the Republic on the proposal
by the Prime Minister.