East Timorese went peacefully to the polls today to elect a president, taking the final step on their long and bloody road to nationhood after centuries of oppressive foreign rule.
Independence hero and overwhelming favourite Mr Xanana Gusmao embraced his sole challenger Mr Francisco Xavier do Amaral as the two voted together at Saint Paul's polling station in the sleep seafront capital early this morning.
The chief electoral officer said voting has been peaceful and orderly.
Full independence will be achieved at midnight on May 20th, after more than four centuries as a neglected Portuguese colony, 24 years as a Indonesian-ruled province and 31 months of United Nations stewardship.
The poll is the third UN-run election since August 1999 when East Timorese voted to separate from Indonesia. That vote provoked a violent campaign by pro-Jakarta militias who were backed by senior elements of the Indonesian military.
Last August the territory voted for a parliament, with veteran pro-independence party Fretilin winning 57 per cent of the vote.
Turnout in the previous votes was over 90 per cent and UN officials were predicting another high turnout from the electorate of 439,000.
APF