Timor-Leste’s new Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao taking an oath during his inauguration at the presidential palace in Dili on July 1. PHOTO: AFP

DILI – Xanana Gusmao, Timor-Leste’s first democratically elected head of state, made a comeback on Saturday, re-assuming power after eight years since his resignation as prime minister of Southeast Asia’s youngest democracy.

The 77-year-old revered figure in the struggle for independence played a pivotal role in unifying the country during his previous terms in office following the intense guerrilla warfare against the Indonesian occupation.

Gusmao’s party, the opposition National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT), emerged victorious in May’s election, defeating the incumbent coalition led by Fretilin, a resistance movement turned political party.

As a result of an alliance between CNRT and the Democratic Party to secure a parliamentary majority, Gusmao was chosen once again as the prime minister.

Born Jose Alexandre Gusmao to Portuguese-Timorese parents, Gusmao grew up in what was then a Portuguese colony. He joined the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (Fretilin) in 1975, engaging in the fight for independence from both Portugal and Indonesia.

Using the code name Xanana, reportedly inspired by a popular doo-wop song, Gusmao quickly ascended within the resistance and became the leader of Fretilin’s military wing, Falintil, in 1981. He spent a significant portion of his life in the jungle alongside fellow fighters.

Following his capture by Indonesian forces in 1992, Gusmao continued to lead the struggle from a Jakarta prison. It was during his imprisonment that he formed a relationship with his second wife, Australian aid worker Kirsty Sword, who initially taught him English through letters before meeting him face to face in secret.

Gusmao gained the nickname “poet warrior” during his time behind bars, as he was known for his artistic pursuits such as painting and writing poetry.

“He was a remarkable resistance leader and skilled at bringing people together,” remarked Dr Damien Kingsbury, an emeritus professor at Deakin University in Melbourne.

“He achieved CNRT’s best-ever election result at the last election, making him a formidable political figure.”

Following Timor-Leste’s vote for independence in a UN-backed referendum in 1999, Gusmao was released from jail by Indonesian authorities and returned to his homeland as a revered national hero. However, it would take three more years until the country officially gained independence.

In 2002, Gusmao became the first president of the newly independent nation and worked towards its unification. After his five-year term as president, he served as prime minister in 2007 and then again in 2012.

While he was credited with steering the country through various early crises, including a failed mutiny in 2006 that sparked factional violence, Gusmao faced criticism for displaying authoritarian tendencies, particularly during periods of instability.

In 2008, he narrowly escaped an attack on his home linked to an assassination attempt against then-president Jose Ramos-Horta, who was wounded in the shooting.

Gusmao resigned early in 2015, stating that it was time for a younger generation of leaders to take the reins. Although he withdrew from the public eye, analysts suggested that he continued to exert influence behind the scenes, often regarded as the kingmaker in Southeast Asia’s youngest nation.

However, with a growing political divide paralyzing the country’s political system, Gusmao agreed to return to power.

As he reassumes leadership in this nation of 1.3 million people, Gusmao faces the challenges of bridging the political schism, addressing the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and tackling a deepening economic crisis as the nation’s petroleum fund rapidly depletes.

“Being a successful resistance leader doesn’t always translate into being an effective government leader,” warned Dr Kingsbury.

Source: With Agencies