Customary governance in Timor-Leste

The uneven progress of re-establishing formal systems of governance across TimorLeste has presented a major challenge for government in the post-independence period. Legislative delays and institutional constraints as well as civil disturbances and political wrangling over leadership directions have raised concerns over the 'fragility' of the state in Timor-Leste and the very future viability of the nation. The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the existence and significance of what I term 'customary governance' that persists among the multiple emplaced ethnolinguistic communities in Timor-Leste. As a vital source of moral and political authority, customary governance in this context refers to the diverse forms of historically situated cultural practices and conventions that have evolved over generations and which offer locally legitimate approaches to the management of village affairs. The fact that over 90% of respondents in a 2004 Asia Foundation survey of attitudes to law and justice, for example, preferred community leaders to take primary responsibility for matters of law and order, is an indication of the widespread appeal of customary governance practices.