Popularity was seen to trump policy, as thousands poured into Timor-Leste’s capital, Dili, in support of incumbent leader Francisco “Lu’Olo” Guterres, stopping traffic along the way.
“You are all ready to stand with me, so I am ready to run for president for the second time,” he said during a campaign in the city this week.
Timor-Leste, on the island of Timor, roughly 700 kilometres northwest of Darwin, heads to the polls this weekend to elect its president. The last elections were held in 2017.
The agricultural sector, health, education and maintaining the stability of the country are some of the policy promises Mr Guterres has made to his supporters.
“I promise that if re-elected on March 19, I will lead the people according to the law and the constitution,” he said.
SBS sat down in an exclusive interview with the president after his final campaign event.
Incumbent President Francisco "Lu-Olo" Guterres, from the Fretilin Party, speaks to his supporters during a campaign rally of the presidential election in Dili, Timor-Leste, 16 March, 2022. Source: AAP / Lorenio Do Rosario Pereira/AP
"I believe in myself because many voters support my candidacy," he said.
"I’m very confident those supporters will vote for me."
The former guerrilla leader is running against 15 others, marking the largest pool of candidates to run in an election since the country's inception in 2002.
In 1999, a UN-sponsored referendum to gain independence saw overwhelming support for the former Portuguese colony, ending a 24-year brutal Indonesian occupation that killed more than 170,000 people.
Timor-Leste achieved formal independence on 20 May 2002.
Since then, the country has held elections every five years, many fighting in the resistance now leading the country.
Among them is Mr Guterres' greatest threat, former president Jose Ramos-Horta.
'I believe in myself because many voters support my candidacy,', Jose Ramos-Horta told SBS News. Source: SBS News / Aneeta Bhole
This week saw a huge outpouring of support for 72-year-old Mr Ramos-Horta, but he had to end a rally early to avoid a clash between opposing supporters.
“We have a very politicised people they know exactly what they want, who they want to vote for and that is really admirable,” the former Nobel Peace Prize laureate told SBS News.
The former president said that he would like to see economic diversification away from the country’s reliance on oil and gas as part of his campaign.
His focus however is to “strengthen the democratic institutions”.
“I want to repair the damage done by the current president and I’ll say outgoing president,” he said.
CNRT Party supporters ahead of Timor-Leste's presidential elections on 19 March, 2022. Source: SBS News / Aneeta Bhole
There have been ongoing tensions between the two largest parties - the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (Fretilin) which has thrown its support behind Fransisco Guterres, and Ramos-Horta’s supporting party, the National Congress of the Reconstruction of East Timor (CNRT), led by former president Xanana Gusmao.
The political conflict led to the resignation of Prime Minister Taur Matan and saw the incumbent leader make up the government from two smaller parties in 2018.
New political generation emerging
But a new generation is hoping to steer away from bitter historic rivalries.
Virgillio da Silva Guterres is the head of the press council and a running candidate in this year’s election and said he’d like to see the country move forward.
“I want to invite the new generation to stand up and say we are more than ready to lead this country,” he said.
“I want to bring hope to the people that we will not bury the destiny of this country when we bury our big brothers or our fathers 'life will go on.”
Virgillio da Silva Guterres is a candidate in Timor-Leste's 19 March, 2022, presidential elections. Source: SBS News / Aneeta Bhole
More than 850,000 people in the country of around 1.3 million are registered to vote — 200,000 of those new voters.
If none of the candidates secure more than fifty per cent of the vote in the first round, a runoff between the two top contenders is scheduled for 19 April.
