2001 East Timorese parliamentary election

Constituent Assembly elections were held in East Timor on 30 August 2001, the second anniversary of the independence referendum. One member was elected from each of the country's thirteen districts, whilst a further 75 were elected by proportional representation.[1] The result was a victory for Fretilin, which won 55 of the 88 seats. Voter turnout was 93%.[2] Following the election the Constituent Assembly nominated a transitional Council of Ministers with Mari Alkatiri as Chief Minister.[3]

2001 East Timorese Constituent Assembly election
United Nations
30 August 2001
All 88 seats in the Constituent Assembly
Turnout86.03%
PartyLeader % Seats
Fretilin Mari Alkatiri 57.37 55
Democratic Fernando de Araújo 8.72 7
PSD Mário Viegas Carrascalão 8.18 6
ASDT Francisco Xavier do Amaral 7.84 6
UDT João Viegas Carrascalão 2.36 2
PNT Aliança de Araújo 2.21 2
KOTA Leão Pedro dos Reis Amaral 2.13 2
PPT Jacob Xavier 2.01 2
PDC António Ximenes 1.98 2
PST Pedro dos Mártires da Costa 1.78 1
Liberal Armando da Silva 1.10 1
UDC Vicente Guterres 0.66 1
Independents António da Costa Lelan 1.47 1
Most voted-for party by district and results by constituency
Prime Minister-designate
Mari Alkatiri
Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor
Politics of East Timor
Constitution
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Elections
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations
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Background

The elections were held to elect 88 members of a constituent assembly (the precursor of the National Parliament), which would be in charge of drafting the first constitution of the Asian country. These were the first free and fair elections to take place on Timorese territory in its entire history after the end of the Portuguese colonial period and the occupation by Indonesia (1975-1999). The elections were managed by the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) to begin the second phase of the transition to full independence, after most of the Timorese infrastructure was destroyed by pro-Indonesian militias following the August 1999 independence referendum.

Of the 88 seats in the Constituent Assembly, 13 would be elected by uninominal majority vote in representation of the thirteen districts that make up the country, while the remaining 75 would be elected by proportional representation by lists. Seventeen parties presented lists for the election.[4]

Results
PartyVotes%Seats
Fretilin208,53157.3755
Democratic Party31,6808.727
Social Democratic Party29,7268.186
Timorese Social Democratic Association28,4957.846
Timorese Democratic Union8,5812.362
Timorese Nationalist Party8,0352.212
Association of Timorese Heroes7,7352.132
People's Party of Timor7,3222.012
Christian Democratic Party7,1811.982
Socialist Party of Timor6,4831.781
Liberal Party4,0131.101
Christian Democratic Union of Timor2,4130.661
Timorese Popular Democratic Association2,1810.600
Timorese Labor Party2,0260.560
National Republic Party of East Timor1,9700.540
Maubere Democratic Party1,7880.490
Independents5,3411.471
Total363,501100.0088
Valid votes363,50194.60
Invalid/blank votes20,7475.40
Total votes384,248100.00
Registered voters/turnout446,66686.03
Source: Ying, Elections Today, IDEA

Aftermath

The Constituent Assembly was installed and invested a local autonomous government on 20 September led by a Council of Ministers, the first elected government in the country's history. Fretilin's Secretary General, Mari Alkatiri, took over as President of the Council of Ministers in coalition with the PD, with a two-thirds majority. On 20 May 2002 the United Nations protectorate came to an end and the territory became independent as the Democratic Republic of East Timor. The Constituent Assembly was reconstituted as the National Parliament, and the government of Alkatiri (who changed his position to Prime Minister) became the first constitutional government.[5][6]

The Assembly had the mandate of preparing a constitution. It had to be approved by at least 60 of the 88 members within 90 days of the Assembly's first sitting.[1] The new constitution was promulgated in March 2002,[7] and following independence on 20 May, served as its first Parliament. Presidential elections were held in April 2002 in which Xanana Gusmão was victorious.

See also

References
  1. On the election of a Constituent Assembly to prepare a constitution for an independent and democratic East Timor United Nations
  2. Timor-Leste: Elections held in 2001 Inter-Parliamentary Union
  3. On the establishment of the Council of Ministers United Nations
  4. Azul 2, Malai (17 August 2006). "Timor Online - Em directo de Timor-Leste: Resultados das eleições de 2001". Timor Online - Em directo de Timor-Leste. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  5. On the election of a Constituent Assembly to prepare a constitution for an independent and democratic East Timor United Nations
  6. On the establishment of the Council of Ministers United Nations
  7. Constitution of East Timor Government of East Timor

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