East Timor Gains its Independence

June 10, 2002

After centuries of colonial rule by the Portuguese, followed by 24 years of Indonesian occupation, and two years of United Nations administration, East Timor at long last gained its independence on May 20, 2002.

The inauguration of President Xanana Gusmão, and the official transformation of the Constituent Assembly into East Timor's parliament were important parts of a celebration that included dignitaries from all over the world. The United States' delegation was led by former Vice President Dan Quayle and former President Bill Clinton. The U.S. government also formally opened its embassy in Dili as part of the Independence Day events.

IRI's East Timor programs focus on supporting the development of a stable, broadly participatory multi-party democratic political system. IRI's work in East Timor began in the summer of 2000 with a program of civil society education on the fundamentals of democracy, representative government, integrating women into the political process, and the role of political parties. As the 2001 election framework was developed, IRI began working directly with political parties and organizations that were focused on increasing women's political participation.

Prior to both the August 2001 Constituent Assembly elections and the April 2002 presidential elections, IRI worked with party poll watchers to ensure they understood their role and functions during the election process. To complement the poll watcher training, IRI produced and distributed thousands of poll-watcher manuals in Tetum, Portuguese and Bahasa Indonesia.

The Institute plans to continue working with the political parties, elected officials, and the East Timor Women's Caucus as East Timor enters the difficult consolidation phase of its political development. IRI is currently working with the office of President Gusmão to develop an intensive training program for the executive office staff.

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