ABSTRACT
This research entitled Political party conflict in the independence era of Timor Leste with case study on internal conflict of Fretilin Party. The internal conflict of Fretilin political party in the Timor Leste independence era became the weak part of external resistant power on elite solidity involved in the Fretilin party. The weak competition from external side of party created internal elite competition of Fretilin party. Elite solidity in the Fretilin party became strong, both at organizational and leadership levels as well, when Fretilin encountered common enemy. There were two conflicts that Fretilin encountered, i.e. conflict against historical opposition parties including, UDT, APODETI, KOTA, Trabalista with their different political goals; conflict against another country, i.e. the government of Indonesia. At that time, Fretilin obtained extra-ordinary mass support; hence, Fretilin became a strong and solid party. However, during the independence era of Timor Leste, the Fretilin’s solidity decreased when no external competition was found. Weak external competition created internal conflict within Fretilin party. Internal conflict of Fretilin party was due to two points, namely ideological interests and interest to get power. The two interests were not well managed and made Fretilin segregated into following political parties, namely Asosiacao Social Democratica Timorense (ASDT), Democratic Party (PD), Unidade Nasional da Resistencia Timor Leste Party (UNDERTIL), Pro-Restructurization Fretilin fused into Congres Nacional Rekonstrukcao Timorense Party (CNRT). The unsolved ideology- and power-based elite interest has caused reducing total votes. In the 2001 Legislative Election, Fretilin underwent reduction in votes. Only 57.23 percents of votes were obtained, while in the 2007 Legislative Election, Fretilin merely got 28.2 percents of votes. Consequently, Fretilin was not able to establish administration.
