ABSTRACT
Timor Leste is still in the painful throes of birthing itself as a nation. While the challenges are not insurmountable, thus far this new nation of Southeast Asia has fought an uphill battle for its very survival. Consolidating itself as a viable democratic nation will be an ongoing process for the foreseeable future, if the trend of political instability and bouts of violence that have plagued it during its short years of independence are any indication. Global capital and the establishment of strong institutions are viewed as a necessity for the future successful development of Timor Leste (Cotton 2004:163). The previous chapter already highlighted some of the challenges facing the country. Indeed, many of these issues are politically highly charged, whether in terms of economic dependence on oil or the lack of solid institutional foundations. This chapter examines political developments in East Timor since its independence; highlighting major events that eventually necessitated the return of UN peacekeeping operations, and also brought about regime changes. The serious political challenges that Timor Leste faced over the past few years have important implications for the viability of this new state and pose questions about the “degree of independence” that Timor Leste has attained. An overview of recent political developments will provide the background for further considerations of East Timor’s political challenges for its future development.
