Country Profile
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste commonly known as East Timor is aSovereign State in Southeast Asia.East Timor is divided into13 administrative districts. The districts are subdivided into 65 subdistricts, 442 sucos (villages) and 2,225 aldeias (hamlets)
Capital Dili
Currency US$
Official Language Tetum(an austronesian language) and Portuguese
Population 1 Million (2010 Estimate)
Religion 97% Roman Catholics and 3% Others
History
Portuguese Colony
The Portuguese established outposts in Timor and Maluku(an archipelago that is part of Indonesia). Effective European occupation of a small part of the territory began in 1769, when the city of Dili was founded and the colony of Portuguese Timor declared.
A definitive border between the Dutch colonised western half of the island and the Portuguese colonised eastern half of the island was established by the Hague Treaty of 1916, and it remains the international boundary between the successor states East Timor and Indonesia.
During World War II (1939-45) the Japanese occupied Dili, and the mountainous interior became the scene of a Guerrilla Campaign known as the Battle of Timor. Waged by Allied Forces and Timorese Volunteers against the Japanese, the struggle resulted in the deaths of between 40,000 and 70,000 Timorese. Following the end of the war, Portuguese control was reinstated.
The 1974 Portuguese Revolution saw Portugal effectively abandon the colony of East Timor.A civil war between supporters of East Timorese political parties,Fretilin(Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor,a Leftist Political Party in East Timor) and the UDT(Timorese Democratic Union,a Conservative Political Party in East Timor) broke out in 1975 as UDT attempted a coup which Fretilin resisted with the help of local Portuguese military.
Independence was Unilaterally Declared on Nov 28,1975.
Indonesia's Invasion and Occupation
Indonesian Military launched invasion of East Timor in Dec 1975 and declared East Timor as its 27th Province on July 17, 1976.However,the UN Security Council opposed the invasion and the territory's nominal status in the UN remained "non-self-governing territory under Portuguese administration."A UN-sponsored agreement between Indonesia and Portugal allowed for UN-supervised popular Referendum in Aug1999.The resulting clear vote for independence was met with a punitive campaign of violence by Timorese pro-integration militia with the support of elements of the Indonesian military.
An Australian led international peacekeeping force, INTERFET was sent (with Indonesian permission) until order was restored. The administration of East Timor was taken over by the UN through the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) in October 1999.
The INTERFET deployment ended in February 2000 with the transfer of military command to the UN. East Timorese Independence was formalised on May 20, 2002 with Zanana Gusmao sworn in as the country's first President. East Timor became a member of the UN on September 27, 2002.
Government
East Timor is a Parliamentary Representative Democratic Republic where the Prime Minister is the Head of Govt and of a Multi-Party System.Executive Power is exercised by the government.Legislative Power is vested in both the Govt. and the National Parliament. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
The Head of State of the East Timorese Republic is the President, who is elected by popular vote for a five-year term and whose role is largely symbolic, though he is able to veto some legislation.
National Parliament
The Unicameral Timorese National Parliament has 65 members elected by proportional representation for a five-year term
President of East Timor
Jose Ramos Horta is the (2nd President since Independence from Indonesia)Current President in office from May 20,2007
Prime Minister of East Timor
Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão(first President of East Timor) is the 4th and Current PM in office from Aug 8,2007
2012 East Timorese Presidential Election - March 17,2012
Incumbent President Jose Ramos-Horta who is eligible for a second and final term as president and 11 other candidates are contesting in the election.Incumbent Ramos-Horta has been overshadowed in campaigning by Fretilin candidate Francisco Guterres and former armed forces commander Taur Matan Ruak, the candidate favoured by Xanana Gusmao, the East Timorese prime minister, and his CNRT party.The contest is more likely to be decided next month in a second round of voting that could pit Fretilin supporters against those of the ruling CNRT coalition.
Over 600,000 out of a population of 1,100,000 are able to vote. There are 13 electoral districts in the country.
The polls are widely expected to be a three-way race among -
1)Jose Ramos - Horta
2)Francisco Guterres(Fretilin) and
3)Taur Matan Ruak
The preliminiary hand-counted result, broadcast live on RTTL, of over 70% of the votes indicated that Francisco Guterres was leading with 27.28% of the votes, followed by Taur Matan Ruak with 24.17% of the votes and incumbent president Jose Ramos-Horta followed with 19.43% of the votes
Timor-Leste president concedes election defeat
The first round of voting passed peacefully, raising the prospects of a withdrawal of the Australian-led mission of about 400 UN peacekeeping troops that was deployed to Timor-Leste in 2006 to quell chaotic unrest.
Francisco Lu Olo Guterres(Fretilin Party) was leading with 28% of the vote, followed by the former military chief Taur Matan Ruak with 25%. That means Ramos-Horta, with 18%, has no chance of advancing to a April 21,2012 runoff.
"Congratulations to them," the Nobel peace laureate told reporters. "And also to the people who supported me throughout my mandate."
Ramos-Horta promised to hand over power peacefully to the winner on May 19,2012.
Taur Matan Ruak Wins East Timor Presidential Election
The Supreme Court of Appeals said in a statement dated Monday April 23,2012 that Ruak had won 61.2 per cent of the vote getting 184,891 votes
beating rival Francisco Guterres "Lu Olo" who got 40% Votes getting 123991 Votes in the April 16,2012 run-off ballot.
East Timorese Parliamentary Election - Saturday July 07,2012
East Timor is holding the parliamentary elections, in a key test that will decide whether UN peacekeepers leave by the end of the year.(UNPKarrived in 2006 after widespread fighting and unrest)
The UN said that it would withdraw its troops if the parliamentary polls go smoothly following peaceful presidential polls in April.Also making their departure could be the 400 Australian and New Zealand troops stationed in East Timor, which voted for independence from Indonesia in a 1999 referendum.But with 21 parties standing, forming a new government could prove difficult if there is no clear majority.
No comments:
Post a Comment