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EAST Timorese independence hero Xanana Gusmao stepped down as prime minister yesterday, opening the way for government to be restructured next week.
The cabinet is set for a reduction from 55 to 34 ministers and would become more inclusive, with opposition members among those appointed.
After a meeting with President Taur Matan Ruak, Mr Gusmao said: “I call for East Timorese people to accept and support my decision,” which he explained as passing responsibility to a new generation.
He had expressed his resignation plan two weeks ago in a meeting with government officials in the capital Dili.
The former guerilla leader spearheaded East Timor’s drive for independence against Indonesian occupation after the Portuguese colonists abandoned the country in 1975.
He was the new country’s first president when Indonesian rule ended in 2002, holding that position until becoming prime minister in 2007.
