Ramos-Horta in limelight

NOBEL Peace Prize laureate and former East Timorese president Jose Ramos-Horta is wading back into politics ahead of parliamentary elections next month.

He says the government in the past decade has failed in crucial areas such as reducing child malnutrition and providing clean water, adding he would have focused on those areas if he were in charge.

Mr Ramos-Horta has declared support for the Fretilin party, which is loosely grouped with a minor party in the May 12 election against a formal alliance of three parties including that of independence hero Xanana Gusmao.