Jose Ramos-Horta Returns

16 candidates battled it out for the presidency, but the people of East Timor chose Jose Ramos-Horta. The former resistance fighter is one of the country's most prominent politicians. His fight for independence from Indonesia won him a Nobel Prize, but it also forced him into exile. Throughout his adult life, Ramos-Horta has faced numerous political challenges. But with the country's oil and gas exports running out, reversing East Timor's economic decline could be the most difficult challenge yet. By several measures, it's the poorest country in Asia. Unemployment and poverty are rampant and the nation still suffers political division. But Ramos-Horta has promised to unite the country. Joao da Cruz Cardoso Analyst specialising in East Timor Guteriano Neves East Timor based Policy Analyst Gordon Peake Author of a book on East Timor