Generational change in East Timor as Ramos-Horta appears to have lost bid for re-election as President

Taur Matan Ruak

East Timor Legal News 18 March 2012 - Based on provisional results in the East Timor Presidential election, it appears that the Nobel Peace prize winning President Jose Ramos-Horta has lost the presidency to the former chief of the Defence Force, Taur Matan Ruak.

The provisional results published by the East Timor Centre for Investigative Journalism at 10.30pm yesterday, attributed 44, 087 to the former Defence Force chief with the Fretilin candidate Lu Olo runing a close second on 42, 943 votes.

By contrast, in third place was Jose Ramos Horta with only 20,375 votes and Democratic Party and Parliamentary President Lasama on 19, 283 votes.

Though there are still many votes to count, it does not look good for Ramos Horta and it appears that there will be a generational change in the Presidency.

This vote should be a warning to all of the political elite that the present generation has had enough of the old guard and wants a transformational change in the country's political leadership.

Update 18 march 2012

Taur Matan Ruak   61,948
Lu Olo                  59,631
Ramos Horta         27,706
Lasama                 26,241