His Excellency Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão - Patron
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Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão (born June 20, 1946), born José Alexandre Gusmão, is the inaugural President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.
Gusmão was born to school-teacher parents in Manaututo in what was then Portuguese Timor, and attended a Jesuit high school just outside of Dili. After leaving high-school at the age of sixteen (for financial reasons), he worked a variety of unskilled jobs, although he continued his education at evening college. In 1965, at the age of 19, he met Emilia Batista, who was later to become his wife.
In 1966 Gusmão obtained a position with the public service, which allowed him to continue his education. This was interrupted in 1968 when Gusmão was recruited in the Portuguese army for national service.
Indonesia invaded Timor-Leste in 1975 and Gusmão took a leading role as a resistance leader which eventually led to him being captured by the Indonesians in 1993 and imprisoned for life in Jakarta.
On August 30, 1999, a referendum was held in Timor-Leste and an overwhelming majority voted for independence. The Indonesian military commenced a campaign of terror as a result, with terrible consequences.
Xanana Gusmão was finally released from jail in Indonesia, and upon his return to Dili, he began a campaign of reconciliation and rebuilding.
He was appointed to a senior role in the UN administration that governed East Timor until 2002. During this time he continually campaigned for unity and peace within Timor-Leste, and was generally regarded as the de facto leader of the emerging nation. Elections were held in late 2001 and Xanana Gusmão was comfortably elected leader. As a result he became the first President of Timor-Leste when it became formally independent on May 20, 2002.
Xanana chose not to contest the Presidential elections in April 2007 and instead contested the parliamentary elections held on 30 June 2007 as head of the new CNRT party. No clear majority was elected. The CNRT formed a coalition with other parties and Xanana was appointed Prime Minister on 6 August 2007 by the new President Dr Jose Ramos Horta.
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