Nobel Peace Laureate Jose Ramos-Horta became Timor-Leste's next
president after claiming Wednesday's presidential run-off, national
election commission spokesperson Maria Angelina Lopes Sarmento
announced on Thursday.
After initially placing second in the first round in April
behind rival Francisco Guterres, Horta rallied strongly to take 73
percent (273,685 votes) in the second round ahead of Guterres who
plummeted to 27 percent or (101,374 votes), said the Sarmento.
"Horta got the highest votes across the 13 districts in the
country, far exceeding Guterres," she told a press conference.
The two candidates came from different backgrounds. Guterres, a
former guerrilla and current Chairman of the Parliament was
nominated by leading party, Fretelin. Horta, coming in as the
current Prime Minister, campaigned on an independent platform to
replace current President Xanana Gusmao who is himself eyeing the
more powerful PM position.
The run-off on Wednesday occurred without a hitch according to
the United Nations. This represents good news for the upcoming
parliament elections in June which will be the first to occur since
independence from Indonesian rule in 2002.
The 57-year-old former journalist Horta won the 1996 Nobel Peace
Prize for his worldwide resistance campaign. After being exiled
after 1975, he mounted a global fight back against Indonesian rule,
returning to Timor-Leste in 1999 after independence was secured in
a referendum.?
Horta was initially foreign minister in 2002 before moving up to
prime minister in July 2006, after prime minister Mari Alkatiri was
brought down over his role in a spate of violence that killed 23
people and displaced over 30,000. Horta was also a founding member
of the leading political party, Fretelin, which Guterres
represented in the election.
After the announcement, Horta spoke out, promising to secure
stability and improve the poor country's economy.
Horta told reporters he would also bring about reforms to
Timor-Leste's local police and army.
"The president must speak out for the poor. I will increase the
budget to assist widows and the poor, since the country can never
expect me to bring about peace and stability by denying those
people who need help," he added.
Thanks to his strong international connections, Horta should be
able to boost foreign investment into his country once the
situation improves.
With annual revenues of about US$100 million from oil and
possible additional US$200 million from gas per year over the next
three to six years, Horta could spearhead infrastructure
construction whilst alleviating poverty and crippling
unemployment.
Asian Development Bank predictions have anticipated a major
boost for Timor-Leste this year with 30 percent growth
expected.
(Xinhua News Agency May 11, 2007)
