DILI, East Timor — East Timor independence hero Xanana Gusmao resigned as prime minister Friday, stepping down ahead of an expected restructuring of the government next week.
Gusmao, 68, is a former guerrilla leader who spearheaded East Timor’s drive for independence when Indonesian rule ended in 2002.
He was the first president of the new country, from 2002 to 2007, and then prime minister for more than seven years.
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AP writers Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Matt Pennington in Washington contributed to this story.
