East Timor's first-round presidential election ended peacefully late on Saturday, with polling stations now counting votes ahead of a provisional result due on Sunday. The election is seen as a critical test of whether Asia's youngest and poorest country can maintain stability and build confidence to develop the economy.
Earlier on Saturday, streets in the capital Dili were almost empty and businesses largely closed as voters walked to polling stations in drizzle in a contest pitting incumbent and Nobel Peace prize laureate Jose Ramos-Horta against 11 challengers. Hundreds queued up before polling stations opened early morning and election monitors are now counting ballots. Analysts predicted a close finish, with Ramos-Horta facing a battle from four leading rivals to stay in office in East Timor, the eastern half of an island at the eastern end of the vast Indonesian archipelago.
The president plays little role in policy but is vital in projecting stability in East Timor, which has vast offshore gas reserves but is having difficulty unlocking its wealth. For many voters, economic issues are fundamental, as 41 percent of East Timor's 1.2 million people live below $0.88 a day, according to a World Bank report, and malnutrition is a significant public health issue.
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