Francisco Xavier do Amaral
Francisco Xavier do Amaral | |
|---|---|
Amaral in 2007 | |
| 1st President of East Timor | |
| In office 28 November 1975 – 7 December 1975 | |
| Prime Minister | Nicolau dos Reis Lobato |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Nicolau dos Reis Lobato |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 December 1937 Turiscai, Portuguese Timor |
| Died | 6 March 2012 (aged 74) Dili, East Timor |
| Nationality | East Timorese |
| Political party | ASDT |
| Spouse | Lucia Osorio Soares |
| Occupation | Politician |
Francisco Xavier do Amaral (3 December 1937 – 6 March 2012) was an East Timorese politician. A founder of the Frente Revolucionária de Timor Leste Independente (Fretilin), Amaral was sworn in as the first President of East Timor when the country, then a Portuguese colony, made a unilateral declaration of independence on 28 November 1975. He was a member of the National Parliament for the Timorese Social Democratic Association from 2001 until his death in 2012. Amaral was also known as "Abo (Grandfather) Xavier", a term of endearment, by East Timorese.