Xanana Gusmão meets UN’s Electoral Needs Assessment Mission team
DILI, 28 September 2026 (TATOLI) — Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão met a United Nations Electoral Needs Assessment Mission team in Dili on Monday to discuss international assistance for Timor-Leste’s electoral institutions ahead of the country’s next presidential elections in 2027.
The meeting at the Government Palace focused on strengthening technical and institutional support for the Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration (STAE) and the National Electoral Commission (CNE), as well as civil society organisations involved in the electoral process.
The UN mission is in Timor-Leste at the request of the government to assess the country’s needs and identify areas where international assistance could strengthen preparations for the upcoming polls.
The meeting was also attended by Minister of State Administration Tomás Cabral and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Timor-Leste Katyna Argueta.
Cabral said the UNDP was expected to assist in several areas, including civic education, biometric voter registration, preparations for voting by Timorese citizens overseas and other electoral procedures.
He said the government would continue discussions with international partners on additional forms of cooperation, including the deployment of international observers during the elections.
“We will continue to discuss how to establish links and work together, particularly regarding international observers. The mission came to assess democracy in our country. The presence of observers is important,” Cabral said.
Zoran Trajkovski of the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs’ Electoral Assistance Division said the mission’s visit followed a formal request from the Timor-Leste Government.
The assessment is expected to help identify priority areas for technical assistance and cooperation as Timor-Leste prepares for the 2027 electoral cycle.
TATOLI
