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Ramos Horta elected President

P. S. Suryanarayana

Jose Ramos Horta

SINGAPORE: East Timor Prime Minister Jose Ramos Horta on Friday emerged victorious in the tiny state's first presidential poll since independence five years ago.

A Nobel Peace laureate for his role in the country's struggle for independence, Mr. Horta defeated Fracisco Guterres, currently leader of the Fretilin party that had fought for freedom from Indonesia.

The political irony apart, Mr. Horta will now succeed the charismatic Xanana Gusmao, who had inspired the Fretilin's independence campaign. Mr. Gusmao plans to participate in next month's parliamentary elections and bid for the more powerful post of Prime Minister. The poll authorities indicated in the capital Dili that Mr. Horta secured 69 per cent of the votes cast and Mr. Guterres the remainder in the run-off presidential poll held two days ago.

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