View source for President of Timor-Leste

{{Short description|Head of state of Timor-Leste}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox official post
| post                    = President
| body                    = the<br />Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
| native_name             = {{native name|pt|Presidente da República}}<br />{{native name|tet|Prezidente Republika}}
| insignia                = Coat of arms of East Timor.svg
| insigniasize            = 125px
| insigniacaption         = [[National emblem of Timor-Leste]]
| flag                    = 
| flagsize                = 
| flagborder              = 
| flagcaption             = 
| image                   = José Ramos Horta Presidente de Timor-Leste.jpg
| imagesize               = 165px
| alt                     = 
| incumbent               = [[José Ramos-Horta]]
| acting                  = 
| incumbentsince          = 20 May 2022
| department              = 
| style                   = [[His Excellency]]
| type                    = 
| status                  = [[Head of state]]
| abbreviation            = 
| member_of               = 
| reports_to              = 
| residence               = [[Nicolau Lobato Presidential Palace]]
| seat                    = [[Dili]]
| nominator               = 
| appointer               = [[Direct election]]
| appointer_qualified     = 
| termlength              = Five years,<ref>[http://timor-leste.gov.tl/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Constitution_RDTL_ENG.pdf "Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste", Section 75.3: "The President of the Republic's term of office may be renewed only once."]</ref>
| termlength_qualified    = renewable once
| constituting_instrument = [[Constitution of Timor-Leste]] (2002)
| precursor               = Governor of East Timor
| formation               = {{plainlist|
* {{start date and age|df=y|1975|11|28}} ([[Proclamation of Independence Day (Timor-Leste)|Proclamation of Independence day]])
* {{start date and age|df=y|2002|5|20}} ([[East Timor independence]])
}}
| first                   = {{plainlist|
* [[Francisco Xavier do Amaral]] 
* [[Xanana Gusmão]]
}}
| last                    = 
| abolished               = {{start date and age|df=y|1976|7|17}} ([[Indonesian invasion of East Timor]])
| succession              = 
| unofficial_names        = 
| deputy                  = [[National Parliament (Timor-Leste)#List of presidents of the National Parliament|President of the National Parliament]]
| salary                  = US$30,000 annually<ref name="mj.gov.tl">{{cite web|url=http://www.mj.gov.tl/jornal/?q=node/852|title=REPÚBLICA DEMOCRÁTICA DE TIMOR-LESTE - Jornal da República|website=www.mj.gov.tl}}</ref>
| website                 = 
}}
{{Politics of Timor-Leste}}

The '''president of Timor-Leste''', officially the '''President of the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste''' ({{langx|pt|Presidente da República Democrática de Timor-Leste}}; {{langx|tet|Prezidente Republika Demokratika Timor-Leste}}) is the [[head of state]] of the [[Timor-Leste|Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste]]. The executive powers of the president are limited; however, the President is also the ''[[ex officio]]'' head of the [[Council of State (Timor-Leste)|Council of State]], is able to veto legislation, and is the supreme commander of the [[Timor-Leste Defence Force]].

==List of presidents of Timor-Leste==
;Political parties
{{legend|{{party color|Fretilin}}|[[Fretilin]]|border=1px solid #aaa}}
{{legend|{{party color|National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction}}|[[National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction]] (CNRT)|border=1px solid #aaa}}
{{legend|{{party color|Democratic Party (Timor-Leste)}}|[[Democratic Party (Timor-Leste)|Democratic Party]] (PD)|border=1px solid #aaa}}

;Other factions
{{legend|{{party color|Independent politician}}|[[Independent politician|Independent]]|border=1px solid #aaa}}

;Symbols
† Assassinated

===Presidents of East Timor during the War for Independence===
{{See also|Democratic Republic of East Timor (1975)}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |{{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! rowspan="2" |Portrait
! rowspan="2" width="180" |Name<br />{{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! rowspan="2" |Elected
! colspan="3" |Term of office
! rowspan="2" |Political party
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Fretilin}}; color:white;" | 1
| [[File:Francisco Xavier do Amaral.jpg|80px]]
| [[Francisco Xavier do Amaral]]<br />{{small|(1939–2012)}}
| rowspan="2"| —
| 28 November 1975
| 7 December 1975
| {{ayd|1975|11|28|1975|12|7}}
| [[Fretilin]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Fretilin}}; color:white;" | 2
| [[File:Nicolau dos Reis Lobato in Declaration of East Timor (1975).jpg|80px]]
| [[Nicolau dos Reis Lobato]]<br />{{small|(1946–1978)}}
| 7 December 1975
| 31 December 1978†{{efn|Killed by the [[Kopassus|Indonesian special forces]].}}
| {{ayd|1975|12|7|1978|12|31}}
| [[Fretilin]]
|}

===Presidents of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |{{Abbr|No.|Number}}
! rowspan="2" |Portrait
! rowspan="2" width="180" |Name<br />{{small|(Birth–Death)}}
! rowspan="2" |Elected
! colspan="3" |Term of office
! rowspan="2" |Political party
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}}; color:black;" | 3
| [[File:Xanana Gusmão - Presidência da República de Timor-Leste (2002).png|80px]]
| [[Xanana Gusmão]]<br />{{small|(born 1946)}}
| [[2002 East Timorese presidential election|2002]]
| 20 May 2002
| 20 May 2007
| {{age in years|2002|5|20|2007|5|20}} years
| [[Independent politician|Independent]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}}; color:black;" | 4
| [[File:José Ramos Horta, Presidência da República de Timor-Leste (2007).png|80px]]
| [[José Ramos-Horta]]<br />{{small|(born 1949)}}{{efn|[[2008 East Timorese assassination attempts|Incapacitated]] from 11 February to 17 April 2008.}}
| [[2007 East Timorese presidential election|2007]]
| 20 May 2007
| 20 May 2012
| {{age in years|2007|5|20|2012|5|20}} years
| [[Independent politician|Independent]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction}}; color:white;" | –
| [[File:Vicente da Silva Guterres small3.jpg|80px]]
| [[Vicente Guterres]]<br />{{small|(born 1956)<br />''Ad interim''}}{{efn|name="acting2"|Served as  President during the [[2008 East Timorese assassination attempts|2008 assassination attempts]].}}
| rowspan="2"| —
| 11 February 2008
| 13 February 2008
| {{ayd|2008|2|11|2008|2|13}}
| [[National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction|CNRT]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Democratic Party (Timor-Leste)}}; color:white;" | –
| [[File:Fernando La Sama de Araújo small.jpg|80px]]
| [[Fernando de Araújo (East Timorese politician)|Fernando de Araújo]]<br />{{small|(1962–2015)<br />''Ad interim''}}{{efn|name="acting2"}}
| 13 February 2008
| 17 April 2008
| {{ayd|2008|2|13|2008|4|17}}
| [[Democratic Party (Timor-Leste)|PD]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Independent politician}}; color:black;" | 5
| [[File:Taur Matan Ruak - Presidência da República de Timor-Leste (2012).jpg|80px]]
| [[Taur Matan Ruak]]<br />{{small|(born 1956)}}
| [[2012 East Timorese presidential election|2012]]
| 20 May 2012
| 20 May 2017
| {{age in years|2012|5|20|2017|5|20}} years
| [[Independent politician|Independent]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Fretilin}}; color:white;" | 6
| [[File:President of Timor Leste Francisco Guterres.jpg|80px]]
| [[Francisco Guterres]]<br />{{small|(born 1954)}}
| [[2017 East Timorese presidential election|2017]]
| 20 May 2017
| 20 May 2022
| {{age in years|2017|5|20|2022|5|20}} years
| [[Fretilin]]
|-
! style="background:{{party color|National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction}}; color:white;" | 7
| [[File:José Ramos Horta Presidente de Timor-Leste.jpg|80px]]
| [[José Ramos-Horta]]<br />{{small|(born 1949)}}
| [[2022 East Timorese presidential election|2022]]
| 20 May 2022
| ''Incumbent''
| {{ayd|2022|5|20}}
| [[National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction|CNRT]]
|}

==Timeline==
{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:21
PlotArea  = top:10 bottom:80 right:150 left:20
AlignBars = late

Define $today = {{#time:d/m/Y}}

Colors =
  id:independent value:gray(0.8) legend:None_(Independent)
  id:fretilin    value:rgb(0.84,0.08,0.11) legend:Revolutionary_Front_for_an_Independent_East_Timor
  id:cnrt        value:rgb(0.20,0.60,0.99) legend:National_Congress_for_Timorese_Reconstruction
  id:pd          value:rgb(0.20,0.30,0.79) legend:Democratic_Party

  id:gray1  value:gray(0.85)
  id:gray2  value:gray(0.95)

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period     = from:01/01/1975 till:$today
TimeAxis   = orientation:horizontal
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1975
ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1975

Legend     = columns:1 left:150 top:35 columnwidth:170
 
TextData =
  pos:(20,38) textcolor:black fontsize:M
  text:"Political party:"

BarData =
 bar:Amaral
 bar:Lobato
 bar:Gusmão
 bar:Ramos-Horta
 bar:VGuterres
 bar:Araújo
 bar:Ruak
 bar:FGuterres

PlotData =
  width:5 align:left fontsize:9 shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

 bar:Amaral
  from: 28/11/1975 till: 07/12/1975 color:fretilin    text:"[[Francisco Xavier do Amaral]]"
 bar:Lobato
  from: 07/12/1975 till: 31/12/1978 color:fretilin    text:"[[Nicolau dos Reis Lobato]]"
 bar:Gusmão
  from: 20/05/2002 till: 20/05/2007 color:independent text:"[[Xanana Gusmão]]"
 bar:Ramos-Horta
  from: 20/05/2007 till: 20/05/2012 color:independent
 bar:VGuterres
  from: 11/02/2008 till: 13/02/2008 color:cnrt        text:"[[Vicente Guterres]]"
 bar:Araújo
  from: 13/02/2008 till: 17/04/2008 color:pd          text:"[[Fernando de Araújo (East Timorese politician)|Fernando de Araújo]]"
 bar:Ruak
  from: 20/05/2012 till: 20/05/2017 color:independent text:"[[Taur Matan Ruak]]"
 bar:FGuterres
  from: 20/05/2017 till: 20/05/2022 color:fretilin    text:"[[Francisco Guterres]]"
 bar:Ramos-Horta
  from: 20/05/2022 till: $today     color:cnrt        text:"[[José Ramos-Horta]]"

}}

==Latest election==
{{main|2022 East Timorese presidential election}}
{{#section-h:2022 East Timorese presidential election|Results}}

==See also==
* [[Politics of Timor-Leste]]
* [[History of Timor-Leste]]
* [[List of colonial governors of Portuguese Timor]]
* [[Prime Minister of Timor-Leste]]
* [[First Lady of Timor-Leste]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Presidents of Timor-Leste}}
{{Timor-Leste topics}}
{{Southeast Asian leaders}}

[[Category:Presidents of Timor-Leste| ]]
[[Category:1975 establishments in East Timor]]
[[Category:2002 establishments in Timor-Leste]]
[[Category:Lists of East Timorese politicians|Presidents]]