Troubled East Timor goes to polls to elect president

Troubled East Timor today voted for a new president, choosing between a Nobel Prize winner and an ex-freedom fighter in an election critical to maintaining peace a year after the tiny nation was pushed to the brink of civil war.

The winner will have to heal deep divisions in Asia’s newest and poorest nation, where many people are disillusioned eight years after voting for independence from decades of brutal Indonesian rule in a UN-organised referendum.

More than 524,000 people were eligible to vote in the polls, which pit Nobel prize winner Jose Ramos-Horta against Francisco “Lu-Olo” Guterres, a former guerrilla turned politician who spent years in the jungles fighting Indonesian rule.

“I will become the Timorese president to serve the people, resolve the crisis and establish peace and democracy,” said Guterres, who is seen by most analysts as the underdog in what may turn out to be a tight race.

“I want to win with dignity, but if I lose, I will also accept that with dignity,” he said after voting.

Voting booths closed across the country soon after 4pm local time. In the capital Dili, election officials started counting ballots, watched by party officials, local and foreign observers and members of the public.

Full results are not expected until Friday, though partial returns may be released earlier.

Ramos-Horta, 57, cast his ballot in a town east of Dili after lining up with fellow voters in the mostly Roman Catholic nation. He said afterward he was “totally relaxed”.

“If I win the election, I win a … huge responsibility,” said Ramos-Horta, who wore a T-shirt with an image of Jesus on it. “But if I lose, I win my freedom to do whatever I want, to be a writer, to be an academic, to be a tourist, to travel.”

East Timor descended into chaos last year after then-Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri fired a third of the army following a mutiny, provoking gunbattles between rival security forces that spiralled into gang warfare and looting.

At least 37 people were killed and some 155,000 fled their homes before the government collapsed. A 1,200-strong Australian-led peacekeeping force has since restored order and, along with a similar-sized contingent of UN police officers, now provides national security.

The post of president is largely ceremonial, but in June, the country will vote for the more powerful post of prime minister, a job being sought by Ramos-Horta’s close political ally, Xanana Gusmao, the popular outgoing president.

Today’s vote follows balloting last month that ended without an outright winner.