East Timor's new President, José Maria Vasconcelos. Photo by EPA/ Antonio Dasiparu.
Independence fighter and ex-Army chief, José Maria Vasconcelos, has marched to victory in Timor-Leste's presidential elections. Jim Fox outlines what his election may mean for the nation's political future. Timor-Leste has a new president, José Maria Vasconcelos, more popularly known as Taur Matan Ruak or simply TMR. Vasconcelos has been elected by a wide margin over his rival, Francisco "Lu Olo" Guterres, taking away more than 61 per cent of the vote. Both candidates are veterans of the struggle for Timorese independence having held out for decades in the mountains of Timor against Indonesian forces. From 1976 onwards, Tuar Matan Ruak rose decisively through the ranks of Falintil guerrilla forces. For strategic purposes, the Falintil devolved command into three separate sectors.
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