AP News, February 25th, 2007
Prime Minister Jose Ramos-Horta of East Timor told a cheering crowd in his hometown Sunday that he will run in April's presidential elections, vowing to help return peace and stability to the troubled nation.
Ramos-Horta, who in 1996 shared a Nobel Peace Price for nonviolent resistance to Indonesian rule, said in his candidacy speech that he went through "weeks of reflection and hesitation" before deciding to run.
"We laid down the arms after the fight against the occupation, but now our fight is for our future," he said. "In this new fight, each Timorese citizen has the responsibility to serve their country."
Supporter Placido Gama, 52, said he favored Ramos-Horta because he is close to the people. "He never speaks a word against his own people. He's a wise leader, not an arrogant leader," she said.
Ramos-Horta became prime minister in July after factional fighting between police and army forces erupted in the capital, Dili. The unrest spilled onto the streets, where shootings, looting, arson and gang warfare left at least 37 dead and sent 155,000 people fleeing their homes.
Relative calm was restored with the arrival of more than 2,500 foreign peacekeepers in May, but dozens of people have been killed in recent months in ongoing clashes between rival gangs.
Ramos-Horta is seen as the strongest candidate with only a small field of less known and less popular contenders. "I am sure and confident I will win and defeat other candidates," he told reporters after addressing the crowd.
Ramos-Horta was a charismatic and tireless member of the resistance during 24-years of brutal Indonesian rule when hundreds of thousands died. A lawyer born to a Portuguese father and Timorese mother, he was the nation's first foreign minister when it became Asia's youngest country in 2002.
With severe food shortages, ongoing violence and shattered institutions, the task facing any new head of state will be daunting.
On Friday, two Timorese men were killed and one wounded after they were shot by an Australian soldier during a confrontation near the capital's airport.
It was the first confirmed fatal shooting by Australian troops. The Australian government said the soldier fired his weapon in self-defense after being attacked by a group of men with steel arrows.
