# President of Timor-Leste

The president of Timor-Leste, officially the President of the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste (Portuguese: Presidente da República Democrática de Timor-Leste; Tetum: Prezidente Republika Demokratika Timor-Leste) is the head of state of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. The executive powers of the President of the republic are limited; however, the President is also the ex officio head of the Council of State, able to veto legislation, and is the supreme commander of the Timor-Leste Defence Force.

## List of presidents of Timor-Leste
### Symbols

† Assassinated

### Presidents of East Timor during the War for Independence

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Elected | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Elected | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party |
| 1 | | Francisco Xavier do Amaral (1939–2012) | — | 28 November 1975 | 7 December 1975 | 9 days | Fretilin |
| 2 | | Nicolau dos Reis Lobato (1946–1978) | — | 7 December 1975 | 31 December 1978† | 3 years, 24 days | Fretilin |

### Presidents of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Elected | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Elected | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party |
| 3 | | Xanana Gusmão (born 1946) | 2002 | 20 May 2002 | 20 May 2007 | 5 years | Independent |
| 4 | | José Ramos-Horta (born 1949) | 2007 | 20 May 2007 | 20 May 2012 | 5 years | Independent |
| – | | Vicente Guterres (born 1956) Ad interim | — | 11 February 2008 | 13 February 2008 | 2 days | CNRT |
| – | | Fernando de Araújo (1962–2015) Ad interim | — | 13 February 2008 | 17 April 2008 | 64 days | PD |
| 5 | | Taur Matan Ruak (born 1956) | 2012 | 20 May 2012 | 20 May 2017 | 5 years | Independent |
| 6 | | Francisco Guterres (born 1954) | 2017 | 20 May 2017 | 20 May 2022 | 5 years | Fretilin |
| 7 | | José Ramos-Horta (born 1949) | 2022 | 20 May 2022 | Incumbent | 2 years, 280 days | CNRT |

## Latest election

The second round of the elections was held on 19 April between José Ramos-Horta, a former president, and the incumbent Francisco Guterres. In the runoff Ramos-Horta prevailed with 62% of the vote.
| Candidate | Candidate | Party | First round | First round | Second round | Second round |
| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| | José Ramos-Horta | National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction | 303,477 | 46.56 | 398,028 | 62.10 |
| | Francisco Guterres | Fretilin | 144,282 | 22.13 | 242,939 | 37.90 |
| | Armanda Berta dos Santos | Kmanek Haburas Unidade Nasional Timor Oan | 56,690 | 8.70 | | |
| | Lere Anan Timur | Independent | 49,314 | 7.57 | | |
| | Mariano Sabino Lopes | Democratic Party | 47,334 | 7.26 | | |
| | Anacleto Bento Ferreira | Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Party | 13,205 | 2.03 | | |
| | Martinho Germano da Silva Gusmão | United Party for Development and Democracy | 8,598 | 1.32 | | |
| | Hermes da Rosa Correia Barros | Independent | 8,030 | 1.23 | | |
| | Milena Pires | Independent | 5,430 | 0.83 | | |
| | Isabel da Costa Ferreira | Independent | 4,219 | 0.65 | | |
| | Felizberto Araújo Duarte | Independent | 2,709 | 0.42 | | |
| | Constâncio da Conceção Pinto | Independent | 2,520 | 0.39 | | |
| | Rogerio Lobato | Independent | 2,058 | 0.32 | | |
| | Virgílio da Silva Guterres | Independent | 1,720 | 0.26 | | |
| | Antero Benedito Silva | Independent | 1,562 | 0.24 | | |
| | Ángela Freitas | Independent | 711 | 0.11 | | |
| Total | Total | Total | 651,859 | 100.00 | 640,967 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 651,859 | 98.16 | 640,967 | 99.16 |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 12,247 | 1.84 | 5,422 | 0.84 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 664,106 | 100.00 | 646,389 | 100.00 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 859,613 | 77.26 | 859,925 | 75.17 |
| Source: National Election Commission |||||||