Waging Peace:  Timor-Leste (formerly East Timor)

Monitoring Elections

The 1999 Public Consultation
The Carter Center began its involvement in East Timor in June 1999, when President Carter, leading an international observer mission for Indonesia's parliamentary elections, met with detained East Timorese leader Xanana Gusmao in Jakarta, who expressed his concerns for the safety of the East Timorese people during the consultation period and his belief that international observation would be essential to the safe conduct of the ballot. Given East Timor's long history of oppression and the presence of pro-integration militia, there was concern that militia would create an atmosphere of intimidation prior to the vote. The Carter Center mission, therefore, focused on monitoring the political and security environment prior to, during, and after balloting.

After receiving an invitation from Indonesian President Habibie, The Carter Center was accredited as the first international observer group and opened an office in East Timor's capital of Dili to monitor the Aug. 30 public consultation.

In the face of continuing violent repression designed to subvert the ballot, the Center observed a high voter turnout on Aug. 30, in which Timorese voted overwhelmingly for independence from Indonesia.

Following announcement of the consultation results, East Timorese pro-integration militia, supported and
directed by Indonesian military, launched a full-scale, deliberate campaign of violence. Many lives were lost, many East Timorese were forced to flee into West Timor, and East Timor's physical infrastructure was almost destroyed. The Carter Center left East Timor in early September due to the violence.

Post-public Consultation Assessments and Monitoring
Carter Center staff were then deployed to Jakarta, Indonesia, and Darwin, Australia, to continue to monitor the postelection situation. The Center re-established its field presence in East Timor in October and remained in the territory through December 1999.

A December 1999 assessment team found public institutions being strengthened and citizen groups forming to lay the foundation for a sustainable, democratic East Timor.
In November 2000, another assessment team found that most political parties remained personality-based and had yet to develop party platforms, security concerns remained relating to the competition between political parties, and the development of the voters list faced difficulties.

2001 Constituent Assembly Elections and Constitution Drafting Process
The Center deployed 29 observers to monitor the August 2001 Constituent Assembly elections, under the leadership of former Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Michael Samore and U.S. Rep. Eni F. H. Faleomavaega of American Samoa.

On Aug. 30, 2001, the Center witnessed high voter turnout as the East Timorese elected an 88-member Constituent Assembly of national and district representatives tasked with drafting the emerging democracy's constitution. While the Center reported about concerns of inflammatory rhetoric from the political parties, these concerns were addressed. The Center found that the U.N.-administered elections were calm and peaceful with no major irregularities at the polls.

The Carter Center worked with domestic observer groups as it monitored political party development during the constitution drafting, and in early March, the Center deployed two delegates to observe the weeklong public consultation on the draft constitution.

2002 Presidential Election
On April 14, 2002, East Timorese again went to the polls, this time to elect their first president. The Carter Center delegation observed a remarkably high voter turnout on election day. In contrast to the previous two elections, Carter Center observers found East Timorese to be very familiar with both the process of voting and the purpose of the ballot.

Monitoring the 2007 Parliamentary Elections
The Carter Center launched an observation mission for Timor-Leste's parliamentary elections with the deployment of long-term observers in provinces around the country in early June 2007. Eight observers monitored the campaign period leading up to the parliamentary election. They were joined by short-term observers closer to election day to observe voting and counting procedures.

The majority of Timorese voters participated in an orderly and peaceful June 30 parliamentary election. The administration of these elections was very well-executed, bearing testimony to the hard work of election officials and the determination of Timorese citizens to ensure their country remains on the democratic path chosen at independence.

A field office in Dili managed the Center's mission to monitor the parliamentary elections and remained open through July 2007. The Carter Center continued to observe the district counting and national tabulation until complete.