With all votes counted, Ramos-Horta had secured 46.58 percent, more than twice the share of his rival Francisco "Lu Olo" Guterres, but still shy of the majority needed to win in one round.

Almost two decades after gaining independence from neighboring Indonesia, Timor Leste held its fifth presidential election on Saturday - a race crowded with key resistance figures who remain prominent in the running of Asia's youngest nation to this day.

The election body, which carries the latest count on its website, has yet to confirm the second round. But if no candidate secures more than 50 percent of the vote, the poll will proceed to a runoff on April 19 between the top two contenders.

Speaking in the capital, Dili, on Sunday, Ramos-Horta said he was confident of victory, and that his election would cause a "political earthquake in the national parliament".

The 72-year-old, who previously served as president from 2007 to 2012, said last week that he felt compelled to run again after he deemed actions by the incumbent president as violating the constitution.

In Timor Leste, the president is responsible for appointing the government and also has the power to dissolve parliament.

In 2018, incumbent president Guterres refused to swear in seven government ministers on the grounds of judicial inquiries into their alleged misconduct, a move that has sparked an ongoing political stalemate.

Ramos-Horta has also said he could use his powers to dissolve the parliament if he is elected.

Timor Leste has a predominantly Catholic population of 1.3 million people and an oil and gas dependent economy, but has struggled with political stability and development.

It has an agreement with Australia to split revenue from the Greater Sunrise gas field, which is worth an estimated $65 billion. Its main revenue stream, the Bayu Undan gas field, is set to dry up by 2023 and the country is now planning to collaborate with companies like Australia's Santos to turn it into carbon-capture facilities. 

But the government has been criticized for failing to capitalize on its natural resources to fund development and diversify its economy in a country where about 40 percent of the population languishes below the poverty line.

Timor Leste comprises the eastern half of Timor Island, the western half of which is part of Indonesia. It spans 15,000 square kilometers - slightly smaller than Israel.

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