ABSTRACT
The departure of the UN The departure of UNMIT and other peacekeeping forces in late 2012 again raised fears over political stability. Though tensions between CNRT and FRETILIN would peak again in the wake of the 2012 elections, a new consensus approach in East Timorese politics was evident from 2013, resulting in what was a effectively a ‘grand coalition’ government in early 2015. The return of a new politics of national unity was accompanied by an intergenerational transition of power, and a new elite focus on development and national sovereignty. There were likewise significant signs of rapprochement in the ‘history wars’ between the major parties. A partial reformulation of East Timorese national identity was also proposed by Timor-Leste’s political leadership, focussed on national unity for development.
