Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão GCL (lahir di Laleia, Manatuto, Timor Portugis, 20 Juni 1946; umur 72 tahun) adalah mantan gerilyawan yang menjabat Presiden Timor Leste yang pertama, menjabat pada 20 Mei 2002-20 Mei 2007. Kini, ia menjabat sebagai Menteri Perencanaan dan Investasi pada kabinet Pemerintah Konstitusional Keenam, sejak 16 Februari 2016. Pada 6 Februari 2015, ia menyampaikan surat pengunduran diri dari posisi perdana menteri, dalam kerangka perombakan pemerintahan yang akan merampingkan kabinet[2]. Ia digantikan oleh Rui Maria de Araújo, Mantan Menteri Kesehatan dan seorang dokter alumnus Selandia Baru.Pada Maret 2006, 691 prajurit Timor Leste dipecat atas tuduhan melakukan desersi. Hal ini menimbulkan gejolak politik yang hebat, sehingga Gusmão mengambil alih kendali pemerintahan. Karismanya sebagai pemimpin perjuangan rakyat Timor Leste cukup berhasil menenangkan para pemberontak, meskipun sebelumnya Gusmão terpaksa harus mengundang pasukan-pasukan asing dari Australia, Selandia Baru dan Malaysia untuk membantunya meredam para pasukan pemberontak.
Perdana Menteri Mari Alkatiri dituding banyak berperan dalam pemecatan para prajurit Timor Leste. Karena itu, pada Juni 2006 Gusmão mendesak agar Alkatiri mengundurkan diri. Setelah sebelumnya bersikeras tidak akan mundur, Alkatiri akhirnya menyerah dan mengumumkan pada 26 Juni 2006, bahwa ia mengundurkan diri dari jabatannya. Sehari sebelumnya José Ramos Horta menyatakan tidak mau ambil bagian dalam kabinet Alkatiri serta melepaskan kedudukannya sebagai menteri luar negeri dan menteri pertahanan. Selain Ramos Horta, tujuh anggota kabinet lainnya di bawah Alkatiri pun menyatakan siap mundur.
Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, GColIH, GCL, GCMG (Portuguese pronunciation: [kaj ˈɾalɐ ʃɐˈnɐnɐ ɣuʒˈmɐ̃w̃], born José Alexandre Gusmão, IPA: [ʒuˈzɛ ɐlɨˈʃɐ̃dɾɨ], on 20 June 1944) is an East Timorese politician. A former militant, he was the first President of East Timor, serving from May 2002 to May 2007. He then became the fourth Prime Minister of East Timor, serving from 8 August 2007 to 16 February 2015. He has been Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment since February 2015. On 11 February 2008, a motorcade containing Gusmão came under gunfire one hour after President José Ramos-Horta was shot in the stomach. Gusmão's residence was also occupied by rebels. According to the Associated Press, the incidents raised the possibility of a coup attempt;[15] they have also described as possible assassination attempts[16] and kidnap attempts.
On 21 June 2006, Gusmão called for Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri to resign or else he would, as allegations that Alkatiri had ordered a hit squad to threaten and kill his political opponents led to a large backlash.[6] Senior members of the Fretilin party met on 25 June to discuss Alkatiri's future as the Prime Minister, amidst a protest involving thousands of people calling for Alkatiri to resign instead of Gusmão.[7] Despite receiving a vote of confidence from his party, Alkatiri resigned on 26 June 2006 to end the uncertainty. In announcing this he said, "I declare I am ready to resign my position as prime minister of the government...so as to avoid the resignation of His Excellency the President of the Republic [Xanana Gusmão]."[8] The 'hit squad' accusations against Alkatiri were subsequently rejected by a UN Commission, which also criticised Gusmão for making inflammatory statements during the crisis.
Gusmão declined to run for another term in the April 2007 presidential election. In March 2007 he said that he would lead the new National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) into the parliamentary election planned to be held later in the year, and said that he would be willing to become prime minister if his party won the election. He was succeeded as President by José Ramos-Horta on 20 May 2007. The CNRT placed second in the June 2007 parliamentary election, behind Fretilin, taking 24.10% of the vote and 18 seats. He won a seat in parliament as the first name on the CNRT's candidate list. The CNRT allied with other parties to form a coalition that would hold a majority of seats in parliament. After weeks of dispute between this coalition and Fretilin over who should form the government, Ramos-Horta announced on 6 August that the CNRT-led coalition would form the government and that Gusmão would become Prime Minister on 8 August. Gusmão was sworn in at the presidential palace in Dili on 8 August.
