East Timor prepares for parliamentary election as campaign period ends

Record ID: 903503

  • Title: East Timor prepares for parliamentary election as campaign period ends
  • Date: 20th July 2017
  • Summary: DILI, EAST TIMOR (JULY 19, 2017) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) POLITICAL ANALYST AND FORMER PRIME MINISTER, JOSE RAMOS HORTA, SAYING: "The next five years, whoever may be the next prime minister and government, and national parliament, will have some key national priorities - one being continuing on the impressive progress on the economic front we have been making in the last five years in particular, namely the continuation of the building of key infrastructures," WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) POLITICAL ANALYST AND FORMER PRIME MINISTER, JOSE RAMOS HORTA, SAYING: "Other key priorities to consolidate - continue to consolidate - peace and democracy in this country. As everybody would have seen right now, the last several weeks of campaigning, election for president, election for the national parliament taking place right now - everything is happening in absolute tranquility and transparency. Zero zero incidents of violence, of intimidation. As a Timorese, I am very proud." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) POLITICAL ANALYST AND FORMER PRIME MINISTER, JOSE RAMOS HORTA, SAYING: "(Another priority will be) to better invest in agriculture to ensure food security and improvement in the lives of the rural people. But we will get there, we couldn't do everything same time in the last 10, 15 years." DILI, EAST TIMOR (JULY 18, 2017) (REUTERS) SUPPORTERS CHEERING FOR GUSMAO GUSMAO SPEECH ON STAGE TO HIS SUPPORTERS SUPPORTERS CLAPPING THEIR HANDS
  • Embargoed: 3rd August 2017 08:38
  • Keywords: East Timor Dili Parliament Election 2017 campaign election parliamentary election polls
  • Location: DILI, EAST TIMOR
  • City: DILI, EAST TIMOR
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: Environment,Weather
  • Reuters ID: LVA0036QITY6D
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: QUALITY AS INCOMING
    Political parties in East Timor on Thursday (July 20) ended campaigning two days ahead of a parliamentary election dominated by concerns over the economic future of Southeast Asia's youngest country.
    More than 20 political parties are participating in the election to determine the next prime minister on Saturday (July 22), but only the two major parties' candidates are expected to have much of a chance - the Fretilin's Mari al-Katir and the CNRT's Xanana Gusmao.
    Saturday's election follows the victory of former independence fighter Francisco "Lu-Olo" Guterres in the presidential election in March. The president is a figurehead while the prime minister, put forward by their party or the coalition that gets the majority of votes in the parliamentary election, runs the government.
    Jose Ramos Horta, a political analyst and the country's former prime minister, said that whoever the new government will be led by, they will aim to pursue economic development, consolidate peace and democracy, and invest in agriculture.
    Analysts say the major challenge for the incoming government will be to wean the nation off oil money and diversify its sources of income into agriculture and manufacturing.
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