Voters in East Timor cast their ballots on Monday in a presidential election they hope will pull them from a cycle of violence and political tension that has paralysed efforts to rebuild one of the world’s poorest nations.
More than half the population of about one million registered to vote in the election to replace the charismatic former guerrilla leader Xanana Gusmao, amid tight security and concerns over whether the result will be credible.
It is the first poll since the former Portuguese colony declared independence in 2002 after a bloody separation three years earlier from occupying Indonesian forces.
”I am very happy to give support to our nation, which is already broken,” said Armindo Moreira, one of about 30 people lined up and waiting to cast their ballots at a primary school in the Dili district of Meti Aut when polls opened at 7am local time.
Eight candidates are in the running to replace Gusmao, who is not seeking re-election as ceremonial head of the tiny nation.
Current Prime Minister and Nobel Peace laureate Jose Ramos-Horta (57) is seen as a strong contender, but observers say the contest is shaping up to be a three-way race.
Ramos-Horta is up against former guerrilla and Fretilin party candidate Francisco ”Lu-Olo” Guterres, and an ex-Indonesian political prisoner, Fernando ”Lasama” de Araujo, chairperson of the opposition Democratic Party.
The powerful Fretilin party, which led the independence struggle against Indonesia, expressed confidence of victory. ”Yes. I am confident from the start,” Lu-Olo (53) told reporters as he arrived to cast his ballot.
”I am ready,” he said. ”And I hope that after this election we can restore peace and stability.”
In the seaside capital, Dili, there were no signs of tension as people walked under a bright sky to cast their ballots.
Finn Reske-Nielsen, deputy head of the United Nations mission in East Timor, said he hoped the election would bring an end to the country’s year-long crisis that began last May.
The unrest left 37 dead, forced more than 150 000 from their homes and exposed tensions between Gusmao and then Fretilin prime minister Mari Alkatiri, who resigned in favour of Ramos-Horta.
”In a democratic way you ask the people what they want, and this is the mechanism to resolve the crisis,” Reske-Nielsen said.
Gusmao has said he will join a new political party and seek to become prime minister, prompting Fretilin to allege he is trying to ”facilitate a job swap” with his close associate Ramos-Horta.
The position of prime minister is much more powerful than that of president.
Lasama and three other candidates seen as less likely to win have said they fear attempts have been made to manipulate the election process and that violence could break out.
But Ramos-Horta said on Monday he thought the process had been free and fair, and Reske-Nielsen said things seemed fine. ”I visited a number of polling stations this morning and things are going smoothly,” Reske-Nielsen said.
Ramos-Horta said: ”The people will win. Whatever the result is, I believe democracy wins if everybody respects the results.”
At least 32 people were injured in election-related clashes on Wednesday in and around Dili, although most of the campaign was peaceful, the UN said.
More than 700 polling stations were being secured by more than 4 000 international and East Timorese police, backed up by about 1 000 troops from an Australian-led international peacekeeping force dispatched to quell last year’s unrest.
Observers said the violence derailed attempts to rebuild the country after massive destruction and at least 1 400 deaths in Indonesian-sponsored violence surrounding a 1999 UN referendum, in which East Timor voted overwhelmingly for separation.
Polls were to close at 4pm and results were expected later this week. — Sapa-AFP