The past year in Timor-Leste has been notable for two interrelated phenomena — the return of Xanana
Gusmao as Prime Minister of a coalition government and the belated tackling of a looming fiscal crisis.
Gusmao has been Timor-Leste’s dominant political persona since the years of the independence struggle. He once again stamped his authority on the country’s politics in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, Gusmao campaigned for Jose Ramos-Horta in the presidential elections, which saw him win with 62 per cent of the vote. In the May 2023 parliamentary elections, Gusmao’s…
