Political Party Leadership: The Cnrt Party's Winning Strategy in Timor-Leste

Domingos Lopes Lemos; Suwignyo  Widagdo; Yuniorita Indah  Handayani

doi:10.31967/mba.v8i2.1790

Domingos Lopes Lemos Institut Teknologi dan Sains Mandala
Suwignyo Widagdo Institut Teknologi dan Sains Mandala
Yuniorita Indah Handayani Institut Teknologi dan Sains Mandala

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31967/mba.v8i2.1790

Keywords: Leadership, Winning Strategies, Political Communication, Cadre Development

Abstract

This study examines the leadership dynamics and winning strategy of the CNRT (Congresso Nacional de Reconstrução de Timor) party in the 2023 parliamentary elections in Timor-Leste, a new democracy in Southeast Asia. This study aims to describe the characteristics of CNRT leadership, analyze political communication strategies, assess human resource management and cadre development, and identify obstacles encountered in the implementation of winning strategies. Using a qualitative approach, this study utilizes in-depth interviews, field observations, and document reviews to obtain comprehensive data that is analyzed thematically. The results show that the CNRT's success was greatly influenced by the charismatic and transformational leadership of Xanana Gusmão, who was able to build an inclusive party image and consolidate cross-ethnic and cross-regional support. Adaptive political communication strategies, which integrated traditional and digital media, were effective in increasing engagement, particularly among young voters and grassroots communities. The strengthening of the cadre system and the improvement of human resource capacity at the local level reinforced the party's loyalty and competitiveness. Amid internal challenges such as elite fragmentation and resource constraints as well as intense political competition, the CNRT was able to adapt through innovative strategies and responsive risk management. These findings emphasize the importance of synergy between leadership, political communication, and cadre development as the main foundations for political party victory in new democracies, and contribute theoretically and practically to the development of leadership and party management studies in Southeast Asia.

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