Fretilin man cleared for next round of East Timor presidential race

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/latest/200704112038/fretilin_man_
cleared_for_next_round_of_east_timor_presidential_race

East Timor's National Election Commission says the presidential vote will go to a second round, with the ruling Fretilin party's Francisco Guterres facing off against one other challenger.

Mr Guterres has a 28% share, with 350,000 votes counted and is already cleared for the second round of voting.

The second contender in the run-off, provisionally set down for 8 May, is expected to be either Prime Minister Jose Ramos Horta, an independent presidential candidate, or the Democratic Party's Fernando de Araujo.

Earlier another non-government election group, KOMEG, said that the Fretilin party candidate was in the lead.

Eight candidates are vying to replace independence fighter Xanana Gusmao as president. A second round between the two top candidates is held if no one wins more than the 50% needed to win outright.

Troops braced for violence

New Zealand troops are part of an international force ensuring security during the poll, and diplomats from New Zealand are among those monitoring the election as more than half a million East Timorese went to the polls on Monday to select a new president.

The New Zealand commander in Dili, Major Bill Keelan, says the relative peace may not continue and troops are bracing themselves for any violence in case some groups take exception to the results.

A total of 523,000 people are registered to vote in the country's first presidential election since it gained independence in 2002.