TY - JOUR
T1 - Is Small Beautiful? Multiparty Politics and Democratic Consolidation in Timor-Leste
AU - Shoesmith, Dennis
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Drawing on comparisons of the experience of multiparty politics in postcolonial African states and in Papua New Guinea, this article considers whether the party and electoral systems in Timor-Leste retard a transition to a consolidated democratic polity. Like FRELIMO in Mozambique, the independence party, FRETILIN, committed to a one-party regime until both parties adopted multiparty politics from the late 1980s. Since independence, Timor-Leste has been relatively successful in establishing a competitive party system. This article argues, however, that the proliferation of small parties and the necessity to negotiate unstable coalition governments retard the process of democratic consolidation in Timor-Leste, and the party system undermines effective state governance and restricts rather than broadens democratic representation. A weak multiparty system has encouraged corruption and poor governance in Papua New Guinea, and multiparty politics threaten similar outcomes in Timor-Leste.
AB - Drawing on comparisons of the experience of multiparty politics in postcolonial African states and in Papua New Guinea, this article considers whether the party and electoral systems in Timor-Leste retard a transition to a consolidated democratic polity. Like FRELIMO in Mozambique, the independence party, FRETILIN, committed to a one-party regime until both parties adopted multiparty politics from the late 1980s. Since independence, Timor-Leste has been relatively successful in establishing a competitive party system. This article argues, however, that the proliferation of small parties and the necessity to negotiate unstable coalition governments retard the process of democratic consolidation in Timor-Leste, and the party system undermines effective state governance and restricts rather than broadens democratic representation. A weak multiparty system has encouraged corruption and poor governance in Papua New Guinea, and multiparty politics threaten similar outcomes in Timor-Leste.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84856374799&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1943-0787.2011.01318.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1943-0787.2011.01318.x
M3 - Article
SN - 1943-0787
VL - 4
SP - 33
EP - 51
JO - Asian Politics and Policy
JF - Asian Politics and Policy
IS - 1
ER -