Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2009998401/PS0922
AB Political Science
COMPARATIVE PAPER
FOR FINAL TERM
I. Title: A Comparative Government and Politics on East Timor (Timor-Leste) and Singapore
II. Overview: Each country in the Southeast Asia have their own form of government. These branches of government
are divided into three: the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial. The division of power into separate branches of government is
central to the democratic idea of the separation of powers. The separation of powers is a model for the governance of a state.
Under this model, the state is divided into branches, each with separate and independent powers and areas of responsibility so
that no one branch has more power than the other branches. The separation of powers system is designed to distribute authority
away from the executive branch—an attempt to preserve individual liberty in response to tyrannical leadership throughout history.
The normal division of branches is into an executive, a legislature, and a judiciary. Executive branch of a government is the part
of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The other role of the
executive is to enforce the law as written by the legislature and interpreted by the judicial system of the government. The
legislative branch of a government is the part of government that can initiate and rescind laws and is the only authority able to
approve proposed laws, although the constitution of many jurisdictions allow persons or agencies of the executive branch to
propose laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures
usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and other money bills. Legislatures are known by
many names, the most common being parliament and congress, although these terms also have more specific meanings. The
judicial branch of a government is the part of government that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The
judiciary generally does not make law (that is, in a plenary fashion, which is the responsibility of the legislature) or enforce law
(which is the responsibility of the executive), but rather interprets law and applies it to the facts of each case. This branch of
government is often tasked with ensuring equal justice under law. It usually consists of a court of final appeal (called the
"supreme court" or "constitutional court"), together with lower courts. These three branches of the government will guide and
serve as the “aids” in this comparative paper between East Timor and Singapore. This comparative paper aims to see the
similarities and differences the form of government between these two countries. The one who made this comparative paper
chose these two countries which both had similar form of government. But in the end of this paper, he and the readers would
able to see that even though these two countries had the same form of government, there were still similarities and contrasts in
terms of the three branches of the government. And in the end, this comparative paper would be able top in which these two
countries as the Parliamentary Democracy form of government among the Southeast Asian countries. It will be based on the
effectivity of powers of each three branches of the government as used the whole subject and element in this comparative paper.
The given facts of the two countries based also on their three branches of government are listed below:
IV. Singapore
Form of Government Parliamentary Democracy
Head of State President (6 years of term)
Head of Government Prime Minister
Constitution 1963
Legislative Unicameral - 84 member Parliament (5 years of term)
Highest Court Supreme Court
Voting Qualifications 21 years of age
V. Executive Branch
East Timor Singapore
The Head of State is the President. The Head of State is the President.
The current president is Jose Ramos-Horta. The current president is S.R. Nathan.
Executive power is exercised by the government. Executive power is exercised by the government.
The President is directly elected to serve a five-year The President is directly elected to serve a six-year
term of office. term of office.
Ceremonial power Ceremonial power
Candidates for Presidential Elections must be
declared eligible by the Presidential Elections
Committee which is a body of governmental
ministers that its primary purpose is to screens
candidates based on qualifications outlined in the
Constitution of Singapore.
The President formally appoints the Prime Minister The President appoints the Prime Minister a Member
who is chosen by the political party or alliance of of Parliament (MP) who, in his personal judgment, is
political parties with a majority in the national likely to command the confidence of a majority of
legislature. MPs.
VII. Rankings of East Timor and Singapore based on the powers of the Three Branches of Government:
A. Executive A. Executive
East Timor Singapore
I ranked East Timor second based on the powers of I ranked Singapore first, based on the powers of the
the executive branch of government because even executive branch of government because I saw that in
though they (including the Singapore) had the both their presidential race, the candidate must therefore
similarities of the head of state and head of survive in the Presidential Committee in the way of
government in the first place, their functions are not screening which is very constitutional in the sense. In
similar. East Timor as pertaining to its President addition, even though the head of the stare is not
doesn’t have that clear functions. It means that if considered as the symbolic icon of the country
compared to Singapore, the latter had that clear compared to East Timor, this is not the way of
functions as the head of state. For example, the determining which power of the executive branch is
president of the East Timor is only the symbolic icon the best. Yet, the executive power is both vested in
of the country for its independence. It can be said that the government in the two countries.
this is the major role as the president in the said
country. But still, this is not enough to prove that he is
leads the state of East Timor.
B. Legislative B. Legislative
East Timor Singapore
I ranked East Timor and Singapore as both the best I ranked East Timor and Singapore as both the best
based on the powers of legislative branch because based on the powers of legislative branch because
first, they don’t even have that huge contrasts in first, they don’t even have that huge contrasts in
their law making body. The only huge difference is their law making body. The only huge difference is
that the number of the members of the unicameral that the number of the members of the unicameral
law making body. Since they are both practicing law making body. Since they are both practicing
Parliamentary Democracy form of government, the Parliamentary Democracy form of government, the
fusion of executive and legislative is exercised in fusion of executive and legislative is exercised in
there. The members of both the one house are there. The members of both the one house are
elected directly by the people which show and elected directly by the people which show and
pertain the virtue and spirit of democracy. So, there pertain the virtue and spirit of democracy. So, there
is nothing huge contrasts in the legislature branch of is nothing huge contrasts in the legislature branch of
government between these two. Yet, the legislative government between these two. Yet, the legislative
power is also both vested in the National Parliament power is also both vested in the National Parliament
in East Timor while the Parliament in Singapore. in East Timor while the Parliament in Singapore
C. Judicial C. Judicial
East Timor Singapore
I ranked the East Timor second based on the powers I ranked the Singapore first based on the powers of
of judicial branch because their judicial system is no judicial branch because their judicial system is
match compared to Singapore after reading, “heavy” enough to show the virtue of earning “justice”
analyzing, and comparing the given informations. in this country. The reason is that their courts are
Their judicial system is like only a simple one. establish into two. The one is the Supreme Court
Meaning, their judiciary has less purposes than the which is the highest court. The second is the
judiciary of Singapore. Yet, the judicial power is also Subordinate Court which is considered as the
both vested in the Supreme Court of Justice in East “brother” of the Supreme Court. This one of a kind
Timor while the Supreme Court in Singapore. The court mostly tackles in civil and criminal cases. East
only difference is that in East Timor, the National Timor doesn’t have this type of court. So, this adds
Parliament elects the members of the Supreme Court the other factor of earning the right justice in this
of Justice. But compared in Singapore, they were country. However, the judges/members of this kind of
appointed by the President with the consent of the court are not directly elected by the masses but
Prime Minister. perhaps appointed by the president himself with the
guidance/consent of his prime minister.