At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Timor-Leste

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President NA *
• Head of Government: NA NA
• Assembly: Timor-Leste has a unicameral Constituent Assembly with 88 seats.

* The president will be elected by direct popular vote to a five-year term. Should two candidates receive the same amount of votes, the Constituent Assembly shall cast personal and secret ballots to decide the winner.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 5-year term.
• In the Constituent Assembly, .***

*** An 88-member Constituent Assembly was elected August 30, 2001. The Constituent Assembly was charged with adopting a constitution within 90 days of its first session (this mandate was later extended to January 25, 2002). The Constituent Assembly approved a 152-article draft constitution in early March. This draft constitution will be formally adopted in mid-May, after the presidential election.
The draft constitution called for the elections for the President for East Timor.
The draft constitution stipulates that the Constituent Assembly will transform itself into East Timor's first parliament after the presidential election.

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:

• Xanana GUSMAO
  • Party: Independent
• Francisco Xavier do AMARAL
  • Party: Timorese Social Democrat Association (ASDT)

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 894,837 (2002)
• Registered Voters: 439,254 (2002)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 441,064 (2002)

·         Is Timor-Leste a signatory to CEDAW: No

·         Has Timor-Leste ratified CEDAW: Yes, accession (16 April 2003)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 22

·         Human Development Index Position: 133 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: High (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Timor-Leste a signatory to CRPD: No

·         Has Timor-Leste ratified CRPD: No

·         Population with a disability: 134,225 (est.)