DILI, East Timor: East Timor headed to the polls to elect a new parliament Saturday as Asia’s youngest democracy battles economic challenges 15 years after gaining its independence from Indonesia. About 760,000 people were expected to cast their votes for candidates from 21 parties in the tiny half-island nation, in the first parliamentary election since the departure of United Nations peacekeepers in 2012. The parliamentary election will determine the choice of prime minister for the former Portuguese colony. The two main parties—Fretilin and CNRT—are expected to fare well in the parliamentary election. East Timor faces huge problems: half of its population live in poverty and the current government is struggling to improve the livelihoods of its 1.2 million people.

Source: Manila Times July 22, 2017 14:37 UTC