National Parliament of East Timor

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Parliament of Timor-Leste in Dili on June 21, 2002.
Parliament of Timor-Leste in Dili on June 21, 2002.
Parties and coalitions in East Timorese parliament 2008
Parties and coalitions in East Timorese parliament 2008
East Timor

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The National Parliament of East Timor (Portuguese: Parlamento Nacional de Timor-Leste) is the unicameral national legislature in East Timor. It was created in 2001 as the Constituent Assembly while the country was still under the supervision of the United Nations, but renamed itself to the National Parliament with the attaining of national independence on May 20, 2002.

The number of members of the parliament may range between 52 and 65; it started with 88 members, due to the Constituent Assembly's decision to reform as the National Parliament rather than holding new elections. All members serve five-year terms. Members are elected by a parallel/party-list system. The parliament sits in the National Parliament Building in the capital, Dili, which was specially refurbished with AUD 1.8 million of Australian aid assistance in the leadup to independence.

As with many other nations, the party most able to gain a working majority in the parliament forms a government. The members of parliament subsequently elect the head of government, the Prime Minister, who is currently Xanana Gusmão. Legislation in some areas may be vetoed by the directly-elected head of state, the President, though this is largely a ceremonial role.

There is universal franchise for all citizens over the age of 17, although voting is not compulsory.

[edit] Latest election

[discuss] – [edit]
Summary of the 30 June 2007 East Timorese parliamentary election results
Parties Votes % Seats
Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (Frente Revolucionária do Timor-Leste Independente) 120,592 29.02 21
National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (Congresso Nacional da Reconstrução Timorense) 100,175 24.10 18
PSD–ASDT
 65,358 15.73 11
Democratic Party (Partido Democrático) 46,946 11.30 8
National Unity Party (Partido Unidade Nacional) 18,896 4.55 3
Democratic Alliance (Aliança Democratica)
 13,294 3.20 2
National Unity of Timorese Resistance (União Nacional Democrática de Resistência Timorense) 13,247 3.19 2
Timorese Nationalist Party (Partido Nasionalista Timorense) 10,057 2.42 0
Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Party (Partido Democratika Republica de Timor) 7,718 1.86 0
Republican Party (Partidu Republikanu) 4,408 1.06 0
Christian Democratic Party (Partido Democrata Cristão) 4,300 1.03 0
Socialist Party of Timor (Partido Socialista de Timor) 3,982 0.96 0
Timorese Democratic Union (União Democrática Timorense) 3,753 0.90 0
Millennium Democratic Party (Partido Milénio Democrático) 2,878 0.69 0
Total (turnout 80.5%) 415,604 100.00 65
Source: CNE

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