Timor-Leste

In preparation for the 2007 elections, IRI's current program focuses on the development of a national election law in Timor-Leste. IRI created a working group of political party members, civil society activists and local academics. The group meets regularly to discuss and compare different electoral systems and review electoral related briefing materials, with a goal to reach some consensus on realistic options for Timor-Leste.

In March 2005, six members of the working group traveled to Wellington, New Zealand on a electoral study tour. As New Zealand recently rewrote its electoral framework, the study tour provided the working group first-hand exposure to the ramifications of various electoral laws. The group met with elected officials, political party leaders, members of parliament, civil society organizations, and Maori party leadership. The working group has also received training on electoral framework issues by electoral specialists.

In January 2006, IRI resumed focus on political party election preparation, party agent training, and support to recently-elected local officials. In February 2006, IRI kicked off the program with seminars for political party leaders where they outlined pre-campaign plans for the 2007 parliamentary elections. Future training will include fundraising, managing volunteers, establishing district campaign offices and effectively communicating party platforms.

In November 2005, IRI worked closely with the office of President Xanana Gusmão to conduct a national dialogue program. Consisting of a series of national public forums, district town-hall meetings and street theater held in each of Timor-Leste's 13 districts, the program provided opportunities for citizens to interact with elected and appointed government officials and increased citizen understanding of democratic norms.

Following the success of the national dialogue program, in March 2006 IRI created a Center for Democracy in Action. The center includes a library, Internet cafe, and meeting rooms for use by local civil society organizations. Center staff also conduct monthly seminars for citizens on the importance of a politically active civil society in a democracy and fundamentals of how to be political engaged.

Increased participation of women in the political process is key for Timor-Leste's development. IRI partners with the Women's Caucus to encourage women's participation in the political process directly, through political parties and government, and indirectly, through other channels within civil society. The caucus provides political leadership and organizational management skill training, supports female members of the legislative assembly, and works as an advocate for women's political participation.

IRI opened an office in Timor-Leste in 2000, the first nongovernmental organization to work directly with political parties in the country. In advance of the 2001 constituent assembly and the 2002 presidential elections, IRI conducted campaign training and party poll watcher training in all 13 of Timor-Leste's districts, working with all 16 registered political parties.

From 2000 until 2004, IRI's political party training program provided technical and strategic assistance to parties. Internal party democracy training focused on: organizational structure, party elections, platform development, effective communications, strategic planning and democratic leadership skills. Party sustainability training focused on how parties support elected representatives, coalition building, fundraising, member recruitment and retention, strategic planning, and effective constituent outreach. This assistance took the form of workshops and seminars, individual party consultations and strategy meetings, resource materials, electoral research and analysis, and other technical assistance as requested by the parties.

IRI's governance program worked to create a dialogue between parliament, the government and civil society. The program primarily focused on promoting constituent outreach by members of parliament. IRI provided practical training on how to organize and conduct town-hall meetings, coordinate media outreach, and respond to constituent concerns. In addition to training, IRI co-hosted a monthly public forum that provided opportunities for government, political party and civil society leaders to discuss issues. Forums covered topics such as Timor-Leste's economic development, local government legislation and elections and political party legislation.

IRI produced the first ever country-wide political poll in Timor-Leste in November 2003. A significant finding of this poll was that 57 percent of respondents said they were "optimistic that democracy will reform Timor-Leste and solve the problems we face." The institute conducted a second public opinion poll in September 2004, and released the results to the political parties during strategy meetings in November.

Political Overview

Chief of State: President Jose Ramos-Horta

Head of Government: Prime Minister Estanislau da Silva (acting until elections on June 30, 2007)

Type of Government: semi-presidential-parliamentary republic

Suffrage: universal, age 17

Elections Calendar

Program Overview

Focus of Program: strengthening political parties and promoting electoral reform

Funding Source: United States Agency for International Development and the National Endowment for Democracy