Tens of thousands of Timorese voters turned out to cast their ballots in the young country's first-ever local elections. About 61,000 voters took part in the first round of the elections, held in the districts of Oecussi and Bobonaro. According to the Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration (STAE), more than 85% of eligible voters came to the polls.

Voters chose three levels of local volunteer representatives: xefe suku (village head), konsellu suku (village council), and xefe aldeia (sub-village head). Across Timor-Leste there are 442 sukus and 2,228 aldeias. The first round of voting in Oecussi and Bobonaro accounted for 68 sukus and 255 aldeias, and each had its own polling station. The elections were held in the second half of December after four days of candidate selection. The period passed peacefully in both districts.

Observers from international organizations, local NGOs, the independent National Election Commission (CNE), and the government watched the process. According to STAE Director Tomas Cabral, the suku elections drew 92% of registered voters in Oecussi and 82% in Bobonaro. Aldeia polls drew similar numbers--87% in Oecussi and 92% in Bobonaro. "The participation of the community in the first two districts was incredibly high," Cabral said. STAE has submitted the results to the Court of Appeal, which has 30 days to verify the elections.

Because these were the first local elections held by Timor-Leste, they encountered some difficulties. CNE and other observers reported that the process of nominating candidates was not uniform, that not all polling stations opened at 8 am, and that some voters were turned away when their names did not appear on the voter list in their villages. Cabral and his team at STAE say they have learned a great deal from the first round of voting and are implementing changes for the next round of local elections, to be held in the districts of Baucau, Lautem, and Manatuto in March.

USAID's small grants program has supported the local election process since December 2003 with grants totaling more than $200,000, including the grants to CNE, STAE, and local NGOs and media for election outreach activities and voter education. Other USAID-funded programs implemented by the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute, and the International Foundation for Election Systems contributed to the election process. Such assistance strengthens the country’s democratic institutions, encourages public participation in civic affairs, and establishes a transparent and accountable electoral system.

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