Nobel Peace Prize winner inaugurated as East Timor's 2nd president

DILI, East Timor- Nobel Peace Prize winner Jose Ramos-Horta was sworn in as East Timor's second president on Sunday, and he vowed to unite the desperately poor nation more than a year after violence brought down its first government.

Ramos-Horta was sworn in by Francisco "Lu-Olo" Guterres, the head of the parliament and the man he beat convincingly in elections earlier this month.

But hours after he took the oath of office, a clash took place in the capital, killing at least one man and wounding several others, police and a hospital officials said.

United Nations peacekeepers were deployed to restore order.

Campaigning for the elections in the tiny nation was largely peaceful, and Ramos-Horta's decisive victory has led to hopes of an era of peace and stability following violence last year that killed 37 people and brought down the government.

"I will find out the way to end the crisis of the country," Ramos-Horta said in his inaugural speech. He promised that he would assist former guerrillas, poor people and stop gang fighting.

East Timor will hold parliamentary elections next month for the country's prime minister - a more powerful job than that of the largely ceremonial president's post.

East Timorese, who suffered for decades under brutal Indonesian occupation, are hoping calm can be restored.

"I hope Ramos-Horta would do campaigns against dissension in the country, so the nation can live in peace and democracy," said Miguel da Costa, 45, a street vendor who watched the inauguration ceremony from outside the governmental palace.

East Timor broke free from Indonesian rule in 1999 following a UN-sponsored ballot. Retreating Indonesian troops and loyalist militia's destroyed much of the country, which was administered by the UN until 2002.

Source : news.yahoo.com