Jose Ramos-Horta says he is confident of continuing UN support

Mr Gusmao has said he would prefer the United Nations administration currently running East Timor to handover on 5 May - the anniversary of the signing of a UN agreement which paved the way to ending Indonesian rule.

Reuters news agency quoted him as saying in a radio interview: "It [20 May] is too biased in terms of party politics."

But he also said that having been decided by the constituent assembly, he would accept the date.

The UN Security Council is expected this week to consider its post-independence commitment to East Timor.

Currently it has about 800 civilian personnel and 8,000 peacekeepers in the territory. East Timor's Foreign Minister Jose Ramos-Horta said on Monday he was confident the UN would continue to provide significant support.

Shortly after returning from talks in the US and France he said: "East Timor... should not be undermined by an early withdrawal or considerations about cutting expenses."

East Timorese officials hope the UN's civilian staff will remain about 100-strong with a peacekeeping force of about 5,000.