"Given that the next general elections in Timor-Leste will take place in 2017, this extremely interesting book is a timely and valuable analysis of the state of the polity that will be re-assessed by the people on this occasion. It is a work of knowledge, insight and analysis in which the author demonstrates a passion for his subject ... Every one inside and outside of Timor-Leste who has thought about and cares for democracy as a universal but threatened concept will learn from this book." - Guy Cumes, International Quarterly for Asian Studies, Vol. 47.

"This book will be of interest to a wide audience. For those concerned with questions of institutional design and the challenges of its implementation, the book provides a sophisticated account of semi-presidentialism and an encouraging perspective on democratic participation in newly independent states." - Douglas Kammen, National University of Singapore, in Pacific Affairs: Volume 90, No. 4 - December 2017