José Luís Guterres

José Luís Guterres is a East Timorese politician and diplomat.

Education

Guterres studied at the University of Cambridge, the University of the Western Cape in South Africa, as well as at Foreign Relations and the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Portugal.

Career

Guterres was a member of the Central Committee of the ruling party Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor. He served as the ambassador of the unrecognized East Timor government to Angola, Mozambique and the United Nations. When his country achieved independence in May 2002, he was appointed as the first East Timorese ambassador to the U.S. and concurrently the U.N.

In 2006, Guterres attempted to take over the leadership of FRETILIN from Mari Alkatiri, the party's Secretary-General, but Alkatiri prevailed at a FRETILIN national congress. Guterres was named foreign minister under Prime Minister José Ramos-Horta later in the year,Stephen Fitzpatrick, [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22211563-25837,00.html "Fretilin sidelined in Timorese cabinet"] , "The Australian", August 9, 2007.] serving in that position until May 2007.

Guterres' supporters, comprising a breakaway faction of FRETILIN called "Mudanca" (meaning "reform"), backed FRETILIN's main rival, the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) of former president Xanana Gusmão, in the June 2007 parliamentary election. Despite this, Guterres' faction has refused to leave FRETILIN, and Alkatiri has warned of legal action.

Although FRETILIN won the most votes in the parliamentary election, the CNRT formed a coalition with other parties to hold a majority in parliament. In the government sworn in under Gusmão, who became Prime Minister, on August 8 2007, Guterres became Deputy Prime Minister.

References

* [http://www.washdiplomat.com/ambprof/east%20timor.html Short biography at washdiplomat.com]
* [http://www.stjohns.edu/about/vincentian/center/socialjustice/2005/bi_vin_guterresj.sju Short biography at stjohns.edu]