Citizens of Timor Leste line up to vote during parliamentary election in Dili on July 22, 2017 (Source: AFP) Hanoi (VNA) - Over 760,000 eligible voters of Timor Leste on July 22 castedtheir ballots at 1,118 polling stations nationwide to elect members of the parliament.
Inthe election, 21 political parties will run for 65 seats in the TimorLeste National Parliament.One party will have to win at least 33 seats to rise to power in the country’s legislativebody.
Analystssaid the National Council of Timorese Resistance and the Revolutionary Front of Independent East Timor (Fretilin),which hold 30 seats and 25 seats in the current parliament, respectively, willbe the frontrunners.
The newly-formed PopularLiberation Party led by former President and guerilla fighter Taur Matan Ruak,meanwhile, has also gained popularity.
After 15 years of establishment, Timor Leste has still face aseries of economic issues, including high rate of unemployment.
The election took place in the context that local youngvoters are increasingly pessimistic about the economic situation of theircountry.
Anopinion poll conducted last December by Asia Foundation, a non-profitinternational development organisation, showed an overall downward trend inviews about the country's outlook, with increasing levels of discontent amongyounger voters.
In 2014,according to the foundation, 73 percent of respondents said the country wasgoing in the right direction, while in 2016, only 58 percent felt the same way.
Forrespondents under the age of 25, the figure plunged from 80 percent to only 50percent in the same timeframe.-VNA
Inthe election, 21 political parties will run for 65 seats in the TimorLeste National Parliament.One party will have to win at least 33 seats to rise to power in the country’s legislativebody.
Analystssaid the National Council of Timorese Resistance and the Revolutionary Front of Independent East Timor (Fretilin),which hold 30 seats and 25 seats in the current parliament, respectively, willbe the frontrunners.
The newly-formed PopularLiberation Party led by former President and guerilla fighter Taur Matan Ruak,meanwhile, has also gained popularity.
After 15 years of establishment, Timor Leste has still face aseries of economic issues, including high rate of unemployment.
The election took place in the context that local youngvoters are increasingly pessimistic about the economic situation of theircountry.
Anopinion poll conducted last December by Asia Foundation, a non-profitinternational development organisation, showed an overall downward trend inviews about the country's outlook, with increasing levels of discontent amongyounger voters.
In 2014,according to the foundation, 73 percent of respondents said the country wasgoing in the right direction, while in 2016, only 58 percent felt the same way.
Forrespondents under the age of 25, the figure plunged from 80 percent to only 50percent in the same timeframe.-VNA
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