Proggresica
10-05-2007, 15:28
I'm sure very few of you care, but Jose Ramos Horta has been elected president of East Timor with a massive 73% of the vote. (90% has been counted)
JOSE RAMOS-HORTA has secured a stunning victory in East Timor's run-off presidential election, winning 73 per cent of the 90 per cent of votes counted so far after sweeping the capital, Dili, and western mountain districts.
A spokeswoman for the election commission, Maria Angelina Sarmento, said last night that Mr Ramos-Horta had so far won 273,685 votes, against 101,374 for Francisco "Lu-Olo" Guterres of the ruling Fretilin party.
The figures would need to be verified, Ms Sarmento said.
As the count continued yesterday, Mr Ramos-Horta, the interim Prime Minister, said he planned to move quickly to heal deep divisions in the country. He also promised to placate disgruntled soldiers whose sacking last year plunged the country into violent upheaval.
However, he declined to declare victory until the final results had been announced.
The result is devastating for Fretilin, which has ruled East Timor since the country of a million people gained independence five years ago.
The party, led by the deposed prime minister, Mari Alkatiri, will be forced to rethink its campaign strategy before parliamentary elections on June 30. Mr Guterres, a former freedom fighter, polled poorly even though Fretilin has the largest political machine and the biggest grassroots networks in rural villages.
Mr Ramos-Horta, a Nobel laureate, polled second in the first round of voting last month, even though he does not have his own political party. He then emerged as the presidential frontrunner when five of the eliminated non-Fretilin candidates endorsed him.
About 1000 Australian and New Zealand troops and 3000 United Nations police remained on high alert last night amid fears that angry Fretilin supporters might seek violent revenge when they learned Mr Guterres had lost.
Fears of a violent backlash by militant Fretilin supporters grew after three Dili District Court judges dismissed an appeal by the former interior minister, Rogerio Lobato, against a 7½-month jail sentence imposed late last year.
Ramos-Horta sweeps to victory in Timor poll (http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/ramoshorta-sweeps-to-victory-in-timor-poll/2007/05/10/1178390471125.html)
I'm really quite happy that he has won, as his opponent from the FRETILIN party is a bit of a knob it seems. Either way, thankfully this round of voting has been violence free.
This makes me 2 from 3 as far as recent elections are concerned.
Wikipedia: East Timorese presidential election, 2007 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Timorese_presidential_election%2C_2007)
JOSE RAMOS-HORTA has secured a stunning victory in East Timor's run-off presidential election, winning 73 per cent of the 90 per cent of votes counted so far after sweeping the capital, Dili, and western mountain districts.
A spokeswoman for the election commission, Maria Angelina Sarmento, said last night that Mr Ramos-Horta had so far won 273,685 votes, against 101,374 for Francisco "Lu-Olo" Guterres of the ruling Fretilin party.
The figures would need to be verified, Ms Sarmento said.
As the count continued yesterday, Mr Ramos-Horta, the interim Prime Minister, said he planned to move quickly to heal deep divisions in the country. He also promised to placate disgruntled soldiers whose sacking last year plunged the country into violent upheaval.
However, he declined to declare victory until the final results had been announced.
The result is devastating for Fretilin, which has ruled East Timor since the country of a million people gained independence five years ago.
The party, led by the deposed prime minister, Mari Alkatiri, will be forced to rethink its campaign strategy before parliamentary elections on June 30. Mr Guterres, a former freedom fighter, polled poorly even though Fretilin has the largest political machine and the biggest grassroots networks in rural villages.
Mr Ramos-Horta, a Nobel laureate, polled second in the first round of voting last month, even though he does not have his own political party. He then emerged as the presidential frontrunner when five of the eliminated non-Fretilin candidates endorsed him.
About 1000 Australian and New Zealand troops and 3000 United Nations police remained on high alert last night amid fears that angry Fretilin supporters might seek violent revenge when they learned Mr Guterres had lost.
Fears of a violent backlash by militant Fretilin supporters grew after three Dili District Court judges dismissed an appeal by the former interior minister, Rogerio Lobato, against a 7½-month jail sentence imposed late last year.
Ramos-Horta sweeps to victory in Timor poll (http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/ramoshorta-sweeps-to-victory-in-timor-poll/2007/05/10/1178390471125.html)
I'm really quite happy that he has won, as his opponent from the FRETILIN party is a bit of a knob it seems. Either way, thankfully this round of voting has been violence free.
This makes me 2 from 3 as far as recent elections are concerned.
Wikipedia: East Timorese presidential election, 2007 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Timorese_presidential_election%2C_2007)