The National Electoral Commission of East Timor on Sunday night released a preliminary count of the vote in the country's first legislative elections. With about 12% of the vote counted, no party has taken a definitive lead. A national overview provided by the National Electoral Commission shows that the main parties are the Democratic Party (11.1%), the Timorese Social Democratic Association/
By district, the leading parties are:
Aileu - ASDT/PSD 36%
Ainaro - KOTA/PPT 27.4%
Baucau - Fretlin 57.5%
Bobonaro - CNRT 33.4%
Covalima - Fretilin 24.2% (PD 23.9%)
Ermera - Fretilin 21.5% (PD 20%, ASDT/PSD 19.7%)
Lautem - Fretilin 54%
Liquica - CNRT 34.7%
Manatuto - CNRT 31.1%
Manufahi - Fretilin 34%
Oecusse - CNRT 34.6%
Viqueque - Fretilin 57.8%.
No figures are available yet for the capital where the start of counting was delayed for 3 hours on Sunday because of the late arrival of observors. Fretilin is not expected to do well in Dili.
While the ruling party has polled well in the eastern Districts, in the west, it has fared poorly with only 9% in Bobonaro and Ainaro districts and 16% in Manatuto.
How these figures translate into actual seats in the Parliament will remain to be seen. With so little of the vote counted and with several districts such as Ermera and Covalima hotly contested, it is too early and too close to call a result.
