Indonesia has no plan to reopen its borderline with Timor-Leste although the Timor-Leste government has called on Indonesia to open it, an Indonesian official said on Saturday.

"The borderline for the time being remains closed," Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara provincial Governor Piet Tallo was quoted by MetroTV television was saying.

Caetano de Sousa Guterres, the Timor-Leste consul in East Nusa Tenggara provincial capital Kupang, said recently that his government had officially requested the Indonesian government to open the borderline on March 1.

Indonesia has closed borderline since Feb. 26, following a security problem in the tiny Asian country marred by the seizures of weapons by rebels led by Maj. Alfredo Reinado.

Nearly 1,000 Indonesian troops were placed in the border areas to prevent any intrusion by Timorese rebels to the Indonesian territory.

On Friday, Timor-Leste kicked off the campaign for the presidential election, with eight candidates vying for the top job.

Last year, the country was thrust into crisis when factional fighting broke out between police and army forces, which was followed by looting, arson and gang warfare that left 37 dead and sent 155,000 people fleeing their homes.

International peacekeepers succeeded in stemming the unrest, but occasional flare ups have occurred in recent weeks and there are fears that rebel soldiers wanted for their roles in the 2006 violence may try and disrupt the polls.