Dili (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Jose Ramos-Horta, Prime Minister and Nobel Laureate, is the new president of East Timor. According to the Electoral Commission, which has counted 90% of the votes, Ramos-Horta got 73% of votes cast against 27% of his opponent in the ballot, Francisco "Lo-Olo" Guterres, of the Fretilin Party, the political formation that holds a majority.
The defeated opponent congratulated the victor, who steps into the shoes of the popular Xanana Gusmao, who has led the young Asian state so far. European Union observers described the elections as “free and transparent” with a turnout of more than 80%.
“I am happy with the result,” said the new president. “I will carry out my duties according to the constitution and listen to advice from everybody so I can take East Timor to a better future.” Guterres warned that “what's important now is to prepare ourselves to win the upcoming election and to observe how they manage the country.” General elections in June will decide the new make-up of Parliament; Gusmao will be running for the post of prime minister. At the moment, Fretilin is the majority party with 55 out of 88 seats.
Independent since 2002 after 25 years of Indonesian occupation, last year East Timor turned into a battleground of ethnic clashes and unrest, which led to the death of 37 people and the flight of 150,000. Following the violence, Ramos-Horta became ad interim premier, taking over from Mari Alkatiri, leader of Fretilin, who was forced to step down because he was held to responsible for the unrest. Ramos-Horta, who spent 25 years of Indonesian occupation in exile, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 for his work for independence.