After the sudden death of PD party leader Fernando de Araújo, António da Conceição took over his positions.

However, he was supported in the election by the PLP and Kmanek Haburas Unidade Nasional Timor Oan (KHUNTO).

Frenti-Mudança encountered difficulties, especially since Jorge da Conceição Teme, one of their top politicians, had gone over to the PDP.

[8] In a nationwide poll from the International Republican Institute in November 2016, 98% of the people whom they asked were planning to go vote.

[10] The 65 members of the National Parliament were elected from a single nationwide constituency by closed list proportional representation.

[19] The election result was scheduled be confirmed by the East Timor Supreme Court of Justice by 6 August.

[17] International election observers came from the European Union, led by five Members of the European Parliament, National Democratic Institute (NDI) and International Republican Institute (IRI) from the United States, Australian organisations and the diplomatic corps in Dili.

27 parties had picked up forms for the lists but had not yet filled them out and submitted them to the East Timor Supreme Court of Justice.

The East Timor National Republic Party (PARENTIL) left the electoral alliance BUP at short notice and did not put up its own list.

The Timorese Nationalist Party (PNT) had already submitted its electoral list too late in 2012 and therefore did not participate in the election.

In the presidential elections at the beginning of the year, their party leader Angela Freitas had still won 0.84% of the vote.

The PLP received support in the election campaign from the Amigos de Taur Matan Ruak (A-TMR).

This movement was founded by, among others, Jorge da Conceição Teme, a member of the Frenti-Mudança, and Abílio Araújo, leader of the Timorese Nationalist Party PNT.

[5] In the election campaign, the PLP set different priorities than the Fretilin and the CNRT, especially on the issue of land development.

Instead of large-scale projects, such as the special economic zone in Oe-Cusse Ambeno and the Tasi-Mane-project on the south coast, the PLP wanted to focus on basic health care and educational and agricultural programmes for the population.

Oe-Cusse Ambeno was under the leadership of Freilin politician Marí Alkatiri, while the South Coast project in Cova Lima was attributed to the CNRT.

The PLP criticised, for example, that while there was a new highway along the south coast, the more important connecting road from Suai to Dili remained in poor condition.

[13] The non-party former president and prime minister, Nobel Peace Prize laureate José Ramos-Horta, attracted attention on social media by praising Fretilin politicians Alkatiri and Francisco Guterres for stabilising the country.

[13][23] On the last day of the official election campaign, 19 July, the PLP held its final rally at Baucau airport and Fretilin gathered its supporters at the Nicolau Lobato monument in Dili.

[25][26] With the PD almost maintaining its share of the vote, analysts suspect that the PLP benefited mainly from the CNRT's losses.

Fretilin won the most votes in the exclave of Oe-Cusse Ambeno, polling stations in Australia and Portugal, and in its strongholds of Baucau, Lautém, and Viqueque, municipalities in the east.

The CNRT was the strongest force in the western part of the main state territory and in polling stations in South Korea and the United Kingdom.

[29] Taur Matan Ruak announced early on that the PLP wanted to play an active opposition role in parliament.

[29] Later, Fretilin General Secretary Marí Alkatiri explained that the coalition negotiations with the PLP had failed because they wanted Fidelis Leite Magalhães to be President of Parliament.

The non-governmental organisation Fundasaun Mahein criticised that this was not in accordance with the constitution, as the new parliament should have convened within 15 days after the Supreme Court confirmed the result.

His opponent, the former parliamentary president Adérito Hugo da Costa (CNRT), received 32 votes.

[35] On 12 September, Marí Alkatiri confirmed that he would be nominated as prime minister by the coalition of Fretilin, PD and KHUNTO.

[31] The previous head of government, Rui Maria de Araújo, lacked support within his own party.

[37] Although Fretilin and PD did not have a majority in parliament, President Guterres appointed Alkatiri as prime minister on 14 September and gave him the mandate to form a government.