KEY POINTS:
DILI - Thousands of people have queued in scorching heat for their chance to vote in East Timor's presidential election today.
Voting started early, with Prime Minister and presidential candidate Jose Ramos Horta one of the first to cast his ballot at a school in Metiaut, in Dili's
west.
"At least I will have one vote -- I will vote for myself," the nobel prize laureate joked as he stood in line with about 30 others, before being called on to vote first.
"Whatever the result I'm happy with it."
Dr Ramos Horta is one of eight candidates vying to replace independence fighter Xanana Gusmao as president.
He is considered a frontrunner, along with Fretilin candidate Francisco Guterres "Lu Olo", and new generation candidate Fernando "La Sama" de Araujo, of the Democratic Party.
Chickens and goats wandered among the small crowd waiting for the start of polling at Metiaut, which was delayed for about 25 minutes because the voting list arrived late.
The European Union team observing the entire poll -- the biggest team of international observers -- said proceedings had started off well, with just a few minor problems with some documents not arriving and minor incidents of intimidation.
"There are some little problems in some districts," said chief observer Javier Pomes Ruiz, who is also a member of the European Parliament.
"In the 13 districts there has been only little problems in three districts in some polling stations.
"These level of problems are very, very normal for the first time the Timorese authorities have organised the election.
"At the moment ... we are very happy with the opening of the polling stations.
"So many people want to go and vote."
More than half a million East Timorese are registered to vote at more than 700 polling stations across the country.
About one fifth of the voters are registered in the capital Dili, where there are 113 polling stations across its six sub-districts.
At the School of Farol, in Motael, Fretilin's candidate Lu Olo was mobbed by a pack of about 30 reporters and cameramen when he arrived to vote with former prime minister Mari Alkatiri.
Both men expressed absolute confidence in their chances of victory.
"We are going to win," said Alkatiri, who resigned as prime minister after the wave of violence across East Timor a year ago, in which 37 people were killed and 150,000 displaced.
"I have travelled around the country and I know -- we will never lose, we will win again."
Two lines of hundreds of voters snaked across the school's yard, as Timorese waited patiently and quietly for their chance to vote.
"I think this is a very important day, because with this election we can find a solution for the country's fate," said Virginia Soares.
"I don't expect any violence.
"I want for there to be a peaceful environment here so we can start to move on as a country."
At Manleuana school, in Dili's west, the third frontrunner, La Sama, was greeted with a spattering of applause when he turned up to vote this morning.
He rejected an invitation to skip the queue, and waited in the sun with hundreds of others.
"I think this will be a good competition today," he said.
"I feel that this is a big party, it's a moment also to change the situation.
"I'm a democrat - whatever the people decide that is the option for this country."
Polling stations will close at 4pm (5pm AEST), with unofficial results expected to start filtering through tonight.
- AAP
