Ramos-Horta put ahead in early East Timor vote count

DILI, May 10 (Reuters) East Timor Prime Minister Jose Ramos-Horta appeared to be leading today in the early vote count in a run-off election to pick the tiny nation's next president.

''The general conclusion is that Ramos-Horta is in first place,'' national election commission spokeswoman Maria Angelina Sarmento told reporters.

The commission's observations were backed by the tiny nation's leading newspaper which gave Ramos-Horta a clear lead with 102,481 votes to 34,163 for former guerrilla Francisco Guterres.

The Suara Timor Lorosae said it got the figures from its own count of polling stations in 11 of 13 districts.

Preliminary official results are not expected until tomorrow evening.

Yesterday's polls passed peacefully with few reports of glitches in contrast to the first round vote a month ago which was marred by complaints of widespread irregularities.

Ramos-Horta and Guterres -- a former independence fighter nicknamed ''Lu'Olo'' and president of the ruling Fretilin party -- won the most votes in the first round, but none of the eight candidates won a clear majority, forcing a run-off.

Both candidates have pledged to respect the run-off result.

Slightly more than half-a-million people were eligible to vote in the election and turnout is expected to have approached the 82 per cent seen in the first round a month ago.

Analysts have mainly tipped Ramos-Horta, who spearheaded an overseas campaign for East Timor's independence, to win after five of the first-round losers urged their supporters to vote for him. But Guterres enjoys strong grass-roots support in many areas and has the powerful Fretilin party machine behind him.

Outgoing President Xanana Gusmao will now run for the post of prime minister.

Ramos-Horta is widely viewed as more friendly to the West and economic globalisation, while Guterres and Fretilin take a more leftist and nationalist line. Both candidates say they want more foreign investment.

Although the benefits have yet to flow in a significant way to many of its impoverished people, East Timor is rich in energy resources such as offshore natural gas, and produces a much-sought-after variety of coffee.

A regional split erupted into bloodshed last May after the sacking of 600 mutinous troops from the western region. Foreign troops had to be brought in to restore order but 30,000 people remain in camps across Dili, too afraid to go home.

Reuters AGL RS1041