Nobel Peace Laureate Jose Ramos-Horta became Timor-Leste's next president after claiming Wednesday's presidential run-off, national election commission spokesperson Maria Angelina Lopes Sarmento announced on Thursday.

After initially placing second in the first round in April behind rival Francisco Guterres, Horta rallied strongly to take 73 percent (273,685 votes) in the second round ahead of Guterres who plummeted to 27 percent or (101,374 votes), said the Sarmento.

"Horta got the highest votes across the 13 districts in the country, far exceeding Guterres," she told a press conference.

The two candidates came from different backgrounds. Guterres, a former guerrilla and current Chairman of the Parliament was nominated by leading party, Fretelin. Horta, coming in as the current Prime Minister, campaigned on an independent platform to replace current President Xanana Gusmao who is himself eyeing the more powerful PM position.

The run-off on Wednesday occurred without a hitch according to the United Nations. This represents good news for the upcoming parliament elections in June which will be the first to occur since independence from Indonesian rule in 2002.

The 57-year-old former journalist Horta won the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize for his worldwide resistance campaign. After being exiled after 1975, he mounted a global fight back against Indonesian rule, returning to Timor-Leste in 1999 after independence was secured in a referendum. 

Horta was initially foreign minister in 2002 before moving up to prime minister in July 2006, after prime minister Mari Alkatiri was brought down over his role in a spate of violence that killed 23 people and displaced over 30,000. Horta was also a founding member of the leading political party, Fretelin, which Guterres represented in the election.

After the announcement, Horta spoke out, promising to secure stability and improve the poor country's economy.

Horta told reporters he would also bring about reforms to Timor-Leste's local police and army.

"The president must speak out for the poor. I will increase the budget to assist widows and the poor, since the country can never expect me to bring about peace and stability by denying those people who need help," he added.

Thanks to his strong international connections, Horta should be able to boost foreign investment into his country once the situation improves.

With annual revenues of about US$100 million from oil and possible additional US$200 million from gas per year over the next three to six years, Horta could spearhead infrastructure construction whilst alleviating poverty and crippling unemployment.

Asian Development Bank predictions have anticipated a major boost for Timor-Leste this year with 30 percent growth expected.

(Xinhua News Agency May 11, 2007)