Ramos-Horta Named as Prime Minister: Timor Leste

It was blatantly obvious who was going to be the new PM of Timor Leste with the credentials of a Noble Peace Prize in your back pocket. Horta is seen as a key step toward restoring stability in the young country after months of political uncertainty.

Personally, I think Horta is after the top possie and intends to rule with an iron fist when attained but that is in the winds at the moment.

President Xanana Gusmao named Ramos-Horta as prime minister on Saturday replacing Mari Alkatiri who resigned last month amid allegations he formed a hit squad to kill his political opponents. Ramos-Horta was expected to be inaugurated within days.

Many in East Timor blame Alkatiri's dismissal of 600 soldiers for May street battles that erupted in the capital between police and army units and later spilled into gang warfare, looting and arson. At least 30 people were killed and 150,000 others forced from their homes. One of Ramos-Horta's priorities would be getting people out of refugee camps and back home Gusmao said.

Analysts said finding a prime minister acceptable to both Gusmao and Alkatiri's ruling, left-leaning Fretilin party was key to ushering in political stability ahead of next year's election.

The party provided Gusmao with a list of four candidates - among them Ramos-Horta, who won the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize for championing the cause of East Timor's resistance struggle during nearly two decades in exile.

His greatest challenge will be to quickly address splits in the security forces, fully investigate killings and forge political support within Fretilin, which has seen internal divisions harden in the recent turmoil.

Alkatiri meanwhile was told he would have to answer to questions that he knew weapons were being funnelled to civilian militias during the unrest to terrorize his opponents.