Political Impasses: Number-Guided East Timor’s Contemporary Democracy

Fernando Ximenes Comité Orientador 25 (CO25), TIMOR-LESTE

Number-guided democracy was the dominant political mode, practices and discourse in Timor-Leste parliamentarian politics. To be able to conquest the power and rule executive authority, one should, at least secured the majority seats in National Parliament. However, the absence of single absolute dominant party in Timor-Leste contributes directly to the ongoing political impasse, as the parties often recourse on ephemeral or unstable coalition, alliance and confidence-and-supply in parliament, which is further deepened the impasses. This paper will discuss how number-oriented democracy has influencing the existing political impasse (2017 and so on) and served as the dominant intelligentsia and political parameter of East Timor’s contemporary democracy.