... confirms that the prime minister of East Timor, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao, has sent his letter of resignation from the post of prime minister...
Dili (ANTARA News) - East Timor's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao has sent a resignation letter to the president, a government spokesman said on Friday.

"The government confirms that the prime minister of East Timor, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao, has sent his letter of resignation from the post of prime minister to the president of the republic, Taur Matan Ruak," a government spokesman said in a statement on an official website.

"It is now for the president of the republic to consider and respond to the letter of resignation," the spokesman added.

Gusmao, 68, a guerrilla leader who helped end Indonesian rule in 1999, has hinted for more than a year that he would resign to let a younger generation lead a nation that ranks among the world's poorest, despite its abundant gas resources.

Editor: Ade P Marboen
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