New York, Sydney - The East Timorese independence leader, Mr Xanana Gusmao, reasserted yesterday that he has no intention of seeking the presidency once his country gains independence.
Meanwhile the Nobel laureate, Mr Jose Ramos-Horta, said in in an Australian television interview that Mr Gusmao will inevitably become his country's first president.
"He owes it to his people. He cannot just now walk away. And I know how to persuade him," he said.