The 2007 East Timorese presidential election involved two separate votes. The first, on 9 April 2007 eliminated six of the eight nominees. The remaining two candidates, current Prime Minister

Prime Minister of East Timor

The Prime Minister of Timor-Leste is the head of government in East Timor. The President is the head of state. The Prime Minister is chosen by the political party or alliance of political parties with a majority in the national legislature and is formally appointed by the president...

 José Ramos-Horta and Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (FRETILIN)

Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor

The Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor is a leftist political party in East Timor. They presently hold a plurality of seats in the National Parliament and formed the government in East Timor from independence until 2007...

 President Francisco Guterres

Francisco Guterres

Francisco Guterres, popularly known as Lu Olo is the President of the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor . He was also President of the National Parliament of East Timor from 2002 to 2007...

, faced each other in a runoff election

Two-round system

The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...

 on 9 May 2007. Ramos-Horta won the second round with 69% of the vote.

Nominations and campaigns

Prime Minister José Ramos-Horta announced in February 2007 that he would be a presidential candidate, receiving the support of incumbent president Xanana Gusmão

Xanana Gusmão

Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão GCL is a former militant who was the first President of East Timor, serving from May 2002 to May 2007...

, who chose not to run for another term. Ramos-Horta's main opponent among the seven other candidates was parliamentary speaker Francisco Guterres, though also running were Francisco Xavier do Amaral

Francisco Xavier do Amaral

Francisco Xavier do Amaral is an East Timorese politician. A founder of the Frente Revolucionaria de Timor Leste Independente , he was sworn in as President when the country, then a Portuguese colony, made a unilateral declaration of independence on November 28, 1975...

 (also a candidate in the 2002 election

East Timorese presidential election, 2002

The first Presidential election was held in East Timor on 14 April 2002. 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...

), Avelino Coelho da Silva

Avelino Coelho da Silva

Avelino Maria Coelho da Silva was one of the candidates in the Presidential Elections in East Timor in April 2007.He became involved in the clandestine resistance while he studied International Relations and Law in Jakarta...

 of the Socialist Party

Socialist Party of Timor

The Socialist Party of Timor is a political party in East Timor. In the parliamentary election held on 30 August 2001, the party won 1.8 % of the popular vote and 1 out of 88 seats...

, Fernando de Araújo

Fernando de Araújo (East Timorese politician)

Fernando de Araújo, also known by Lasama is an East Timorese politician and the current President of the National Parliament of East Timor. He was also serving as the Acting President of East Timor for two months in early 2008. He is also the President of the Democratic Party. He is married to...

 of the Democratic Party

Democratic Party (East Timor)

The Democratic Party or the Democratic Party In Timor-Leste is a social-democratic political party in East Timor, established on 10 June 2001...

, Lúcia Lobato

Lúcia Lobato

Lúcia Maria Brandão Freitas Lobato is an East Timorese politician, currently serving as Minister of Justice. She is a member of the National Parliament, representing the Social Democratic Party....

 of the Social Democratic Party

Social Democratic Party (East Timor)

The Social Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in East Timor.In the parliamentary election held on 30 August 2001, the party won 8.2% of the popular vote and 6 out of 88 seats...

 (the sole female candidate), João Viegas Carrascalão

João Viegas Carrascalão

João Viegas Carrascalão is an East Timorese politician. He was one of the candidates in the April 2007 presidential election in East Timor....

 of the Timorese Democratic Union

Timorese Democratic Union

The Timorese Democratic Union is a conservative political party in East Timor. It was the first party to be established in the country in 1974, following the Carnation Revolution in Portugal....

, and Manuel Tilman

Manuel Tilman

Manuel Tilman is an East Timorese politician. He was a candidate in the April 2007 presidential election.-Life and career:...

 of the Association of Timorese Heroes

Association of Timorese Heroes

The Association of Timorese Heroes is a conservative political party in East Timor. In the parliamentary election held on 30 August 2001, the party won 2.1 % of the popular vote and 2 out of 88 seats...

.

Campaigning began on 23 March, the day after two people were killed in gun battles with police in the capital Dili

Dili

Dili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands....

, though Ramos-Horta did not mention this in his opening campaign speech, instead focusing on poverty.

Results and controversy

Early results were announced by a spokesman for the national elections commission, Martinho Gusmão, who said that results from the capital Dili showed Ramos-Horta with about 30%, Araújo with about 25%, and Amaral and Guterres with about 20% each. On 11 April, the president of the commission said that Guterres was in first place with 28.8% and would participate in a second round to be held in May, while Ramos-Horta had 22.5% and Araújo had 18.6%. Five of the candidates — Araújo, Amaral, Lobato, Coelho, and Tilman — demanded that vote counting cease, alleging major problems in the election, and said that counting should only be conducted with all the candidates present to observe; they said that they would legally challenge the outcome. Soon afterward, Ramos-Horta joined the calls for a recount, and also called for a U.N. investigation regarding the absence of votes from 150,000 citizens. Commission spokesman Martinho Gusmão subsequently said on 12 April that there would not be a recount, but on 13 April he said that there were inconsistencies in the vote count and that it was possible that a re-vote might be necessary in some parts of the country. According to final results released by the electoral commission on 18 April, Guterres had 27.89% of the vote (112,666 votes) and Ramos-Horta had 21.81% (88,102 votes), which meant that the two would face each other in a second round. Araújo followed in third place with 19.18% (77,459 votes). Voter turn-out was placed at 81.79%. Following the release of the results, candidates had 24 hours to appeal, and three of the losing candidates, Araújo, Amaral, and Lobato did so, but the results were confirmed by an appeals court. On 26 April, Araújo announced his party's support for Ramos-Horta in the second round; Ramos-Horta also received the support of four out of the five other candidates: Amaral, Lobato, Coelho da Silva, and Carrascalão. Manuel Tilman endorsed Guterres.

Results by district (1st round)

Based on official results of East Timor Election Commission

District Districts of East Timor ||East Timor is divided into thirteen administrative districts. The districts are divided into subdistricts, and further subdivided into sucos.The borders between Cova-Lima and Ainaro and between Baucau and Viqueque were changed in 2003.-References:...	Guterres Francisco Guterres Francisco Guterres, popularly known as Lu Olo is the President of the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor . He was also President of the National Parliament of East Timor from 2002 to 2007...	Ramos-Horta	de Araújo Fernando de Araújo (East Timorese politician) Fernando de Araújo, also known by Lasama is an East Timorese politician and the current President of the National Parliament of East Timor. He was also serving as the Acting President of East Timor for two months in early 2008. He is also the President of the Democratic Party. He is married to...	do Amaral Francisco Xavier do Amaral Francisco Xavier do Amaral is an East Timorese politician. A founder of the Frente Revolucionaria de Timor Leste Independente , he was sworn in as President when the country, then a Portuguese colony, made a unilateral declaration of independence on November 28, 1975...	Lobato Lúcia Lobato Lúcia Maria Brandão Freitas Lobato is an East Timorese politician, currently serving as Minister of Justice. She is a member of the National Parliament, representing the Social Democratic Party....	Tilman Manuel Tilman Manuel Tilman is an East Timorese politician. He was a candidate in the April 2007 presidential election.-Life and career:...	Coelho da Silva Avelino Coelho da Silva Avelino Maria Coelho da Silva was one of the candidates in the Presidential Elections in East Timor in April 2007.He became involved in the clandestine resistance while he studied International Relations and Law in Jakarta...	Carrascalão João Viegas Carrascalão João Viegas Carrascalão is an East Timorese politician. He was one of the candidates in the April 2007 presidential election in East Timor....
Aileu Aileu (district) Aileu is an administrative district of East Timor. It has a population of 36,889 and an area of 729 km². The capital of the district is also named Aileu. The subdistricts are Aileu, Laulara, Lequidoe and Remexio....	873	1,592	1,492	11,767	817	1,089	288	217
Ainaro Ainaro (district) Ainaro is one of 13 administrative districts of East Timor, in the southwest part of the country. It has a population of 53,629 and an area of 797 km2...	2,453	901	4,623	6,103	1,603	5,555	377	714
Baucau Baucau (district) Baucau , is a district of East Timor, on the northern coast in the eastern part of the country. The capital is also called Baucau . The population of the district is 104,571 and it has an area of 1,494 km2. The subdistricts are Baguia, Baucau, Laga, Quelicai, Vemasse, and Venilale...	30,956	13,265	1,105	865	1,226	604	823	300
Bobonaro	4,803	5,562	13,930	2,325	6,678	1,250	635	815
Cova Lima	6,240	1,867	7,681	3,192	3,242	676	218	384
Dili Dili (district) Dili is the name of one of the 13 districts of East Timor, which includes the national capital Dili. It has a population of 167,777 , most of whom live in the capital city. The district has an area of 372 km2. The district is the same as what was the council of the same name in Portuguese...	11,801	29,619	9,904	12,672	4,662	1,734	1,322	771
Ermera Ermera Ermera is one of the districts of East Timor, located in the west-central part of the country. It has a population of 103,169 and an area of 746 km2. Its capital is Gleno, which is located 30 km to the southwest of the national capital, Dili...	7,187	3,843	18,516	5,946	1,769	1,712	657	1,057
Lautém	12,392	6,006	3,248	743	2,884	345	519	323
Liquiçá Liquiçá (district) Liquiçá is one of the districts of East Timor. Its capital is also called Liquiçá.-Geography:Liquiçá District is situated on the northern coast of East Timor, and borders the districts of Dili to the east, Aileu to the Southeast, Ermera to the south, and Bobonaro to the southwest. To the...	1,979	7,446	3,168	4,089	3,855	1,001	571	791
Manatuto Manatuto (district) Manatuto is one of the districts of East Timor, located in the central part of the country. It reaches both the south and north coasts of the island, and is only one of two districts to do so . To the north is the Strait of Wetar, to the south is the Timor Sea...	2,673	6,015	2,133	2,686	485	539	702	681
Manufahi Manufahi Manufahi is one of the districts of East Timor. It has a population of 44,235 and an area of 1,325 km2. The capital of the district is Same. The subdistricts are Alas, Fatuberlio, Same, and Turiscai. In the times of the Portuguese colony, the district was called Same, after the capital city...	4,953	1,745	3,116	6,554	1,497	870	281	261
Oecussi-Ambeno	5,661	4,791	7,643	630	5,651	491	254	410
Viqueque Viqueque (district) Viqueque is the largest of the districts of East Timor. It has a population of 66,434 and an area of 1,781 km2. The capital of the district is also named Viqueque. The subdistricts are Lacluta, Ossu, Uato-Lari , Uato Carabau and Viqueque...	20,695	5,450	900	553	1,420	668	1,691	204
Total	112,666	88,102	77,459	58,125	35,789	16,534	8,338	6,928

Campaigning and corruption allegations

The Timorese returned to the polls on 9 May to vote in a runoff between Ramos-Horta and Guterres. In the intervening month between the votes, Guterres alleged that Australia soldiers in East Timor as part of Operation Astute

Operation Astute

Operation Astute is an Australian-led military deployment to East Timor to quell unrest and return stability in the 2006 East Timor crisis. It is currently headed by Brigadier Bill Sowry, and commenced on 25 May 2006 under the command of Brigadier Michael Slater...

 were interfering with the election process and Fretilin campaign rallies. The Fretilin party executive José Teixeira said:
Both Ramos-Horta and the United Nations rejected the Fretilin's claims. On 8 May, the day before the election, Ramos-Horta rebutted, saying:
Prior to the election, both candidates agreed they would accept the result no matter the outcome, with outgoing President Xanana Gusmão also urging all sides to vote peacefully and accept the result.

Election day

Amid tight security from the Australian forces present, the election was peaceful and orderly, with no violence related to the election reported. However within a day of votes being counted, irregularities began to appear. These include 87 marked voting papers found at a booth before polls opened as well as children under 17 with their own registration cards attempting to vote.

Second round results

Following the election, initial reports predicted a large majority for Ramos-Horta. Ramos-Horta said that he thought that he "could have 70-80%" of the vote, and a spokesman for the election commission said that he was in the lead in most districts. With 90% of votes counted, Ramos-Horta had 73%. However, he declined to declare victory until the results were verified and final. Subsequently, on May 11, provisional results showed Ramos-Horta with 69% of the vote against 31% for Guterres, and Guterres accepted defeat and congratulated Ramos-Horta. Voter turnout in the second round was placed at 81%. Ramos-Horta took office on May 20.

Candidate	Party	Votes	%
José Ramos-Horta	Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...	285,835	69.18
Francisco Guterres Francisco Guterres Francisco Guterres, popularly known as Lu Olo is the President of the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor . He was also President of the National Parliament of East Timor from 2002 to 2007...	Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor The Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor is a leftist political party in East Timor. They presently hold a plurality of seats in the National Parliament and formed the government in East Timor from independence until 2007...  (FRETILIN)	127,342	30.82
Total valid votes		413,177	100.00

Results by district (2nd round)

Based on the official results of East Timor Election Commission

District Districts of East Timor ||East Timor is divided into thirteen administrative districts. The districts are divided into subdistricts, and further subdivided into sucos.The borders between Cova-Lima and Ainaro and between Baucau and Viqueque were changed in 2003.-References:...	Ramos-Horta	Guterres Francisco Guterres Francisco Guterres, popularly known as Lu Olo is the President of the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor . He was also President of the National Parliament of East Timor from 2002 to 2007...
Aileu Aileu (district) Aileu is an administrative district of East Timor. It has a population of 36,889 and an area of 729 km². The capital of the district is also named Aileu. The subdistricts are Aileu, Laulara, Lequidoe and Remexio....	16,591	1,075
Ainaro Ainaro (district) Ainaro is one of 13 administrative districts of East Timor, in the southwest part of the country. It has a population of 53,629 and an area of 797 km2...	16,395	5,121
Baucau Baucau (district) Baucau , is a district of East Timor, on the northern coast in the eastern part of the country. The capital is also called Baucau . The population of the district is 104,571 and it has an area of 1,494 km2. The subdistricts are Baguia, Baucau, Laga, Quelicai, Vemasse, and Venilale...	16,987	33,745
Bobonaro	30,351	5,504
Cova Lima	17,246	5,343
Dili Dili (district) Dili is the name of one of the 13 districts of East Timor, which includes the national capital Dili. It has a population of 167,777 , most of whom live in the capital city. The district has an area of 372 km2. The district is the same as what was the council of the same name in Portuguese...	63,010	15,787
Ermera Ermera Ermera is one of the districts of East Timor, located in the west-central part of the country. It has a population of 103,169 and an area of 746 km2. Its capital is Gleno, which is located 30 km to the southwest of the national capital, Dili...	33,923	7,198
Lautém	12,919	13,547
Liquiçá Liquiçá (district) Liquiçá is one of the districts of East Timor. Its capital is also called Liquiçá.-Geography:Liquiçá District is situated on the northern coast of East Timor, and borders the districts of Dili to the east, Aileu to the Southeast, Ermera to the south, and Bobonaro to the southwest. To the...	20,705	2,881
Manatuto Manatuto (district) Manatuto is one of the districts of East Timor, located in the central part of the country. It reaches both the south and north coasts of the island, and is only one of two districts to do so . To the north is the Strait of Wetar, to the south is the Timor Sea...	13,571	3,240
Manufahi Manufahi Manufahi is one of the districts of East Timor. It has a population of 44,235 and an area of 1,325 km2. The capital of the district is Same. The subdistricts are Alas, Fatuberlio, Same, and Turiscai. In the times of the Portuguese colony, the district was called Same, after the capital city...	14,362	4,857
Oecussi-Ambeno	19,332	6,879
Viqueque Viqueque (district) Viqueque is the largest of the districts of East Timor. It has a population of 66,434 and an area of 1,781 km2. The capital of the district is also named Viqueque. The subdistricts are Lacluta, Ossu, Uato-Lari , Uato Carabau and Viqueque...	10,443	22,165
Total	285,835	127,342

Voting logistics

The logistics of providing the entire East Timor population with access to voting stations proved difficult through both elections. Across the country there were 700 polling stations. Some locations were so isolated that helicopters and donkeys were needed to distribute ballot papers to them.

External links

East Timor National Election Commission website

• East Timor Legal Information Site