The landslide victory of Prime Minister Jose Ramos-Horta in East Timor's presidential election points to the people's hope that the Nobel laureate will bring unity and reconciliation to Asia's youngest nation. Mr. Ramos-Horta shared the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize with Bishop Carlos Belo for their nonviolent struggle against Indonesian occupation. He served as East Timor's first post-independence foreign minister.

On Sunday, the tiny nation with a population of about 950,000 celebrate the fifth anniversary of its independence as Mr. Ramos-Horta is sworn in as president. There will be general elections in June. Acceleration of a conflict between rival political groups cannot be ruled out. A tough job of healing political and regional divisions awaits the new president.

In a United Nations-organized referendum in August 1999, the East Timorese voted to secede from Indonesia, which had invaded their land in 1975. Still, East Timor has been plagued by political and regional conflicts and a high unemployment rate hovering at 50 percent.