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Australian Prime Minister John Howard Friday welcomed the changes in Timor-Leste's government, saying the resignation of two senior ministers is a positive step to restoring stability to the nation.

Timor-Leste's Interior Minister Rogerio Lobato and Defense Minister Roque Rodriguez resigned Thursday. Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta took over the defense portfolio.

The resignation came after Timor-Leste's President Xanana Gusmao demanded that the government pay a price for what he said the mishandling of the crisis triggered by the dismiss of 600 soldiers in March, who went on strike to protest against alleged discrimination in the military based on regional origin.

Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Portugal have sent troops to Timor-Leste's capital of Dili at the country's request to help restore order in the wake of continuing fighting between government troops and the rebel soldiers.

Howard said it was clear there could be no progress in the country with changes in the government.

"I'm not presuming to say who should be in the government of a foreign country but it's obvious that we need stronger, less contested government authority in Timor-Leste and one way of doing that was to see some change in the personnel of the existing government," he told Australia's Southern Cross broadcasting.

"Many Timor-Leste people hold the existing government responsible for the breakdown in law and order," he said.

"And the resignation of two of those ministers and the replacement of the defense minister at least by somebody as credible as Ramos Horta is a very good development," he said.

He also denied that the task of restoring order was proving more difficult than expected for Australian troops, despite of the fact that a man was killed in Dili Thursday as the violence went on.

(Xinhua News Agency June 2, 2006)