PRESIDENTIAL RUN-OFF IN TIMOR-LESTE WAS INCIDENT-FREE, UN REPORTS

PRESIDENTIAL RUN-OFF IN TIMOR-LESTE WAS INCIDENT-FREE, UN REPORTS
New York, May 9 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Timor-Leste said that today's presidential run-off election in the small island country which gained independence from Indonesia in 2002 proceeded smoothly and peacefully.

According to the UN mission in the country, known as <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmit/">UNMIT, no security incidents were reported, the Secretary-General's spokesperson Michele Montas said at a press briefing in New York.

Voters went to the polls to select either Jose Ramos-Horta or Francisco Guterres as their nation's president.

Ballot counting has begun and provision results are set to be released either this Friday or next Monday.

UNMIT has observed that the campaigning period leading up to today's election "has been free of any serious incidents of violence and intimidation."

The initial round of polls, which were the first ever in Timor-Leste, took place on 9 April with eight candidates vying to lead the country.

UNMIT is helping Timor-Leste with all aspects of the 2007 presidential and parliamentary electoral process, including through technical and logistical support, electoral policy advice and verification.
2007-05-09 00:00:00.000

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