East Timor vote highlights young nation’s political impasse

By FERNANDO da COSTA
Associated Press

DILI, East Timor (AP) — Vote counting is underway in East Timor’s presidential elections with two former fighters for independence, one current and one former president, considered to be the front-runners. They’ve accused each other of causing a yearslong political paralysis. Ahead of the election day, former President Jose Ramos-Horta, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, had a lead over incumbent Francisco “Lu Olo” Guterres in an opinion survey. Four women were among 13 other candidates, the highest number of women taking part in the fifth election since East Timor won independence from Indonesia 20 years ago. results are not expected until Thursday. East Timor’s transition to a democracy has been rocky amid massive poverty, unemployment and corruption. Its economy relies on dwindling offshore oil revenues.