Why is Francisco Xavier do Amaral running for president of East Timor when he knows he has no chance of winning? Amaral's sole opponent, independence hero Xanana Gusmao, is the most popular man in the former Portuguese colony, which will finally achieve independence on May 20.

Gusmao, 55, spent more than a decade commanding East Timor's guerrilla resistance to Indonesia's 24-year military occupation before being captured and spending nine years in prison for treason. Lauded by world leaders and revered back home with a cult-like status, he is widely expected to win first-ever presidential poll on April 14 in a landslide. But Amaral is no slouch either. The 66-year-old was also an independence leader and spent 22 years in Indonesian custody. He was even president of East Timor's self-proclaimed government when Portugal withdrew from the territory back in 1975. That tenure lasted a mere nine days, ending with the invasion of Indonesian military forces in December of that year.

Like Gusmao, Amaral supports the nation-building mission of the United Nations-which now administers East Timor-as well as democracy and free market capitalism. While he lacks Gusmao's charisma, Amaral makes up for it by presenting himself as a man of principle: he is running on a losing ticket, he says, to ensure that East Timor's voters have a choice. The campaign has not been easy. Amaral is in poor health, and had to suspend campaigning temporarily because of a recent bout with the 'flu. He spoke with Newsweek's Joe Cochrane by telephone last week.

Newsweek: Why are you running when Gusmao is widely expected to win?

Francisco Xavier do Amaral: I'm running for president to protect democracy. Two months ago they were talking about the presidential election, but it was funny-there was only one candidate. How can we talk about an election with only one candidate? The Timorese are not highly educated, but they are not stupid. We have to have more than one candidate so people can choose.

Do you have any realistic chance of beating Gusmao?

I am not fighting to win or lose. I'm fighting to defend principle, to show the world that we, the first nation of the 21st century, must defend all the rules of world democracy. If he's the winner, I will welcome him as long as we can work together for the people of this country. They have suffered for a long time. If Xanana loses, I will still welcome him.

This campaign is taking place after decades of turmoil in East Timor. International peacekeepers had to intervene to restore order in 1999, after Indonesian-backed militias went on the rampage to protest a referendum vote to end Indonesia's military occupation. What's your assessment of the campaign so far?

So far, so good. We have never had a presidential election before. Now, with the help of the UN, we are. We have to obey all the rules of the election.

Gusmao is revered for being a war hero and political prisoner, but you also were in jail. Why hasn't that helped you attract voters?

I am not a war hero. I have been unfortunate. But I didn't die. I am alive, so I will continue to fight.