Final results from the early election on May 12 means Timor-Leste has for the first time in nearly 6 months an opportunity to end the political stalemate that has frozen its State program.

The Alliance for Change and Progress (AMP) coalition party, won an absolute majority in the parliament with 34 out of 65 seats, giving it the constitutional right to form government.

Writing in the Diplomat on 22 May, Jonas Guterres, a former Advisor to the Commissioner at Anti-Corruption Commission of Timor-Leste (CAC), said AMP’s majority could provide stability, but warned whether the new coalition party could exhibit good governance “remains to be proven.”

“In the eyes of many, the government’s commitment to fight corruption in order to fully invest in its people’s wellbeing, and in economic diversification, will be its greatest challenges,” Guterres said.

He said strong opposition in the Parliament, led by Fretilin with 23 seats, the Democratic Party with five seats and the Democratic Development Front (FDD) with three seats would challenge the new government’s ability to push through its promises made in the divisive and heated election campaign.

Timor-Leste’s oil and gas revenue has been the primary engine of public expenditure, with almost 80 percent of the annual state budget derived from that source.

However, oil revenue has dropped significantly from $1 billion in 2015 to just $400 million in 2016.

“In total, $14 billion has been spent in the past 10 years, but relatively little has been done to elevate the wellbeing of the people and drive economic development,” Guterres said.  

According to UN figures over 30 per cent of Timorese live below the poverty line and malnutrition of children stands at 40 per cent. The country’s Gross Domestic Product per capita is at $1,239. 

“These glaring economic and social statistics are underpinned by corruption, which remains an endemic disease and a significant contributor to the distortion of economic development, the stifling of investment, and the growth of social inequality and poverty.”

Internationally, Timor-Leste ranks 91st out of 180 countries rated by Transparency International in 2017. The World Bank report on “Ease of Doing Business” ranked Timor-Leste 178th out of 190 countries.

Guterres urged the incoming seventh Constitutional Government to put “much greater emphasis” on transparency, accountability, integrity, and efficiency in public expenditure.

“It is no exaggeration to say that the performance of the incoming government in fighting corruption will determine the future of the country not only in the next five years, but also in the decades to follow.”

 Meanwhile Timor-Leste’s Police General Commander (PNTL) Julio Hornai has commended the “political maturity” of the country’s voters and urged politicians to accept the election results.

"I ask all political party leaders to accept the result of election, the winner must accept the losers, the losers must accept the winner, should be embraced to all of us," said Julio Hornai in his office on Saturday.