2002 East Timorese presidential election

2002 East Timorese presidential election

14 April 2002

Candidate Xanana Gusmão Francisco Xavier do Amaral Party Independent ASDT Popular vote 301,634 63,146 Percentage 82.69% 17.31%

President before election Sérgio Vieira de Mello (As East Timor UN Transitional Administrator) Independent Elected President Xanana Gusmão Independent

Presidential elections were held in East Timor for the first time on 14 April 2002 under UN administration. As expected, the former president of the East Timorese resistance movement, Conselho Nacional da Resistencia Timorense, Xanana Gusmão, running as an independent candidate but with the unofficial support of small opposition parties like the Democratic Party, won a large majority.

Gusmão only had one challenger, former FRETILIN president Francisco Xavier do Amaral, who had been sworn in as president when East Timor declared independence on 28 November 1975, though his term was short-lived as Indonesia invaded on 5 December. Do Amaral, now head of a new party, the ASDT, had admitted that he fully expected to lose to Gusmão, but felt that running was symbolically important, demonstrating the strength of East Timor's democracy by ensuring that Gusmão had competition in the race.

Results

Candidate		Party	Votes	%
	Xanana Gusmão	Independent	301,634	82.69
	Francisco Xavier do Amaral	Timorese Social Democratic Association	63,146	17.31
Total			364,780	100.00
Valid votes			364,780	96.36
Invalid/blank votes			13,768	3.64
Total votes			378,548	100.00
Registered voters/turnout			446,256	84.83
Source: IFES