The political system in East Timor is a unitary semi-presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of East Timor is the head of government and the President of East Timor functions as head of state. East Timor has a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the president and the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Parliament. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The East Timorese constitution was modelled on that of Portugal, with lesser power given to the president. The country is still in the process of building its administration and governmental institutions. The Economist Intelligence Unit rated East Timor a "flawed democracy" in 2022.
The National Parliament is the unicameral national legislature in East Timor. It was created in 2001 as the Constituent Assembly while the country was still administered by the United Nations, but renamed itself to the National Parliament with the attaining of national independence on 20 May 2002.
José Maria Vasconcelos, popularly known as Taur Matan Ruak, is an East Timorese politician who served as the prime minister of East Timor from 2018 to 2023. He was also President of East Timor from 20 May 2012 to 20 May 2017.
Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno is an East Timorese politician and diplomat, and a member of the Fretilin political party.
Demetrio do Amaral de Carvalho is an environmentalist from East Timor. He has been State Secretary for the Environment since 2018.
The East Timor Supreme Court of Justice, also known as the Court of Appeal of East Timor, is the highest court of East Timor. It was established by the Constitution of East Timor with ultimate jurisdiction over all legal, constitutional and electoral matters.
Parliamentary elections were held in East Timor on 22 July 2017. Fretilin narrowly emerged as the largest party in the National Parliament, winning 23 seats to the 22 won by the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction, which had been the largest party in the outgoing Parliament.
Presidential elections were held in East Timor on 20 March 2017. Incumbent President Taur Matan Ruak, who was eligible for a second term, chose not to run for re-election. The result was a victory for Francisco Guterres of FRETILIN.
Isabel da Costa Ferreira, also Isabel Ruak Ferreira, was an East Timorese jurist, human rights activist, politician, and wife of East Timor's former president, Taur Matan Ruak. She was the First Lady of East Timor from 2012 until 2017. Along with her husband, she was a member of Partidu Libertasaun Popular (PLP).
Early parliamentary elections were held in East Timor on 12 May 2018 after the National Parliament was dissolved by President Francisco Guterres on 26 January 2018.
The VIII Constitutional Government was the eighth Constitutional Government under the Constitution of East Timor. Formed on 22 June 2018, and restructured in mid-2020, it was led by the country's seventh Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak, and was replaced by the IX Constitutional Government on 1 July 2023.
Maria Ângela Guterres Viegas Carrascalão is an East Timorese journalist, author, university teacher and former Minister of Justice. She is a member of the Timorese Democratic Union.
Manuel Cárceres da Costa is an East Timorese politician and writer. Between June 2018 and March 2022, he was the Minister of Justice, serving in the VIII Constitutional Government of East Timor led by Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak.
Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhães is an East Timorese political economist, public policy specialist and politician, and a member of the People's Liberation Party (PLP).
Armanda Berta dos Santos is an East Timorese politician, and the leader of the Kmanek Haburas Unidade Nasional Timor Oan (KHUNTO) political party.
Salvador Eugénio Soares dos Reis Pires is an East Timorese politician. Between June 2018 and March 2022, he was the Minister of Public Works, serving in the VIII Constitutional Government of East Timor headed by Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak.
Fernando Hanjam is an East Timorese politician and academic. In 2020, he served briefly as the Minister of Finance under the VIII Constitutional Government of East Timor led by Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak. Previously, in 2017–18, he was Minister of Education and Culture in the earlier VII Constitutional Government, led by Mari Alkatiri.
Pedro dos Reis is an East Timorese politician. He is the incumbent Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, serving since June 2020 under the VIII Constitutional Government of East Timor led by Taur Matan Ruak.
The Alliance for Change and Progress (AMP) (Tetum: Aliansa Mudansa ba Progresu, Portuguese: Aliança para Mudança e Progresso) was a three-party alliance in East Timor. Until 1 February 2018, the alliance was called Parliamentary Majority Alliance (Tetum: Aliansa Maioria Parlamentar, Portuguese: Aliança da Maioria Parlamentar). The motto of the coalition was "Hametuk Hametin Nasaun" (English: Strengthen the nation together). The flag of the AMP showed the flags of the three member parties on a white background.
Parliamentary elections were held in East Timor on 21 May 2023. The governing coalition going into the election was a four-party government of Fretilin–PLP–KHUNTO–PD, whilst CNRT was in opposition and held the executive branch.
