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Jose Ramos-Horta waves as he leaves the Presidential Palace in Dili May 30, 2006. When East Timor's Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ramos-Horta resigned his government posts, he did so via a mobile phone text message. (REUTERS/Lirio Da Fonseca) |
Quitting politics Timor-style -- via SMS
DILI (Reuters) - When East Timor's Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos-Horta resigned his government posts, he did so via a mobile phone text message.
Ramos-Horta told a news briefing that he had sent an SMS to Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri announcing his intention to quit Sunday, and received a reply in the same format from the premier.
"I explained myself in a subsequent text message," he said.
The country has been embroiled for months in a political crisis and text messaging has emerged as the fastest and most reliable means of communication.
Thousands of protesters clamoring for Alkatiri's resignation have been mobilizing themselves via SMS, and news of him stepping down Monday spread rapidly through text messages.
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