TUNES EAST TIMOR

DILI : EAST TIMOR Parliament dissolved, new elections called.

East Timor is set to hold fresh elections after President Francisco Guterres dissolved parliament Friday, ending a month-long political impasse-

That plunged Asia's youngest democracy into a post-election stalemate.

Fighting among lawmakers paralysed the former Portuguese colony and has left it on the brink of its worst period of political instability in more than a decade.

Speaking at the presidential palace, Guuterres called new parliamentary elections to put an end to a   ''serious institutional crisis'' and blasted leaders for turning ''their backs to each other''  .

''I am convinced that people must be called to vote one again in order to help, to overcome the challenges that lies [ahead] in our very young democracy,'' he said, adding that the-

Date for new elections will be set within 30 days.