UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon hailed on Thursday the "peaceful" holding of Timor-Leste's presidential run-off.

"The secretary-general is greatly encouraged by the peaceful conduct of the final round of presidential elections in Timor- Leste on 9 May," said a statement issued by Ban's press office.

In the statement, Ban cited reports from the UN mission in the country saying that the people cast their votes in a calm and orderly manner, reflecting once again their commitment to democracy.

"The final round caps a similarly peaceful electoral campaign," the UN chief said.

He also expressed belief in "the same peaceful and democratic spirit" that will prevail during the vote counting and tabulation process over the next few days.

Source: Xinhua