At Stake in this Election: 

• All 65 seats of the Timorese National Parliament 

Government Structure:  

• Chief of State: President José RAMOS-HORTA (since May 2022) 

• Head of Government: Prime Minister Taur Matan RUAK (since June 2018) 

• Assembly: unicameral National Parliament (Parlamento Nacional) with 65 seats 

Electoral System:  

• The president is directly elected by absolute majority vote in up to two rounds. The president may serve up to two 5-year terms. 

• The prime minister is appointed by the president following legislative elections in which their party or coalition wins a majority. 

• All 65 members of the National Parliament are directly elected via closed-list proportional representation vote in a single nationwide constituency. Seats are distributed using the D’Hondt method, and party lists must win at least 4% of the vote to receive a seat. Members serve 5-year terms. 

Last Election: 

In 2018, the AMP coalition won a plurality of seats (34), followed by the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (23), the Democratic Party (5), and the Democratic Development Front (3). Voter turnout was 80.98%. 

Key Deadlines: 

• Candidate filing deadline: 15 March 2023 

• Voter registration deadline: N/A (voters are automatically and continuously registered) 

Main Candidates in this Election: 

• Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor / Frente Revolucionária do Timor-Leste Independente (FRETILIN) 

• Leader: Francisco Guterres (LÚ OLO) 

• Seats won in last election: 23 out of 65 

• National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction / Congresso Nacional da Reconstrução Timorense (CNRT) 

• Leader: Xanana GUSMÃO 

• Seats won in last election: 21 out of 65 

• People’s Liberation Party / Partido Libertação Popular (PLP) 

• Leader: Taur Matan RUAK 

• Seats won in last election: 9 out of 65 (part of AMP coalition) 

• KHUNTO / Kmanek Haburas Unidade Nacional Timor Oan (KHUNTO) 

• Leader: Armanda Berta DOS SANTOS 

• Seats won in last election: 5 out of 65 (part of AMP coalition) 

• Democratic Party / Partido Democrático (PD) 

• Leader: Mariano SABINO 

• Seats won in last election: 5 out of 65 

• UDT/FM Coalition / Coligação União Democrática Timorense/Frenti-Mudança (UDT/FM) 

• Leader: José Luís GUTERRES 

• Seats won in last election: 2 out of 65 

• Unity and Democratic Development Party / Partido Unidade e Desenvolvimento Democrático (PUDD) 

• Leader: Silvestre SUFA 

• Seats won in last election: 1 out of 65 

Population and Registered Voters: 

• Population: 1,476,042 (2023 est.) 

• Registered Voters: 859,925 (2022) 

Gender Data: 

• Female Population: 741,730 (2023 est.) 

• CEDAW Status: Ratified (by accession) 16 April 2003 

• Gender Quota: On party lists, 1 of every 3 candidates must be a woman. If a female candidate drops out of the campaign, her spot must be filled by the next female candidate on the list. 

• Female Candidates in this election: Yes 

• Number of Female Legislators (pre-election): 25 out of 65 (38%) in the National Parliament  

• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 0.607, Medium, Rank 140 (2021 est.)  

• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Overall score not available (2023) 

Disability Data: 

• CRPD Status: Ratified (by accession) 17 January 2023 

• Projected population with a disability: 221,406 (2023 est.) 

IFES Resources: 

• Does IFES have a presence in Timor-Leste: Yes, programming 

• Election FAQs: Yes

• Election Access: Yes 

• Election Judgements: Yes, 5 resources