East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta is considering resigning his post once he returns to his country from Australia after recuperating from gunshot wounds. Ramos-Horta’s comments indicate that Canberra's plan to stengthen its hold on East Timor has started taking shape.
Two months after suffering near-fatal gunshot wounds in an attack, East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta is considering resigning his post once he returns to his country from Australia, he told The Australian in an interview published April 8. He plans to address the East Timorese parliament when he returns and said, “I will not promise the country that I will serve the full term.”
Making an effort to quash expectations regarding his future role in East Timor’s governance, Ramos-Horta questioned his own leadership capacity, noting that physically he is well but that the attack has affected him emotionally. Pointing to the success of East Timor’s acting leader, parliament President Fernando de Araujo, Ramos-Horta said he no longer is needed as president.