Timor-Leste Enabling Environment Snapshot

The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (RDTL) gained independence on 20 May 2002 after 24 years of Indonesian occupation from 1976 to 1999. After independence, Timor-Leste faced the 2006 Crisis arising from violence between rival political factions, which led to a near- collapse of the state. 

This was followed by successive electoral violence in 2007, 2012, and 2017, mainly between the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (FRETELIN Party) and the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT Party) during the parliamentary elections. 

After 2022, electoral violence decreased due to increased awareness and the dissemination of information reaching remote areas, especially on Election Laws and Election Violence Education Response (EVER), implemented by the NGO Belun in partnership with local authorities and youth.