Estanislau Da Silva

Estanislau Da Silva

Estanislau da Conceição Aleixo Maria da Silva (born August 4, 1952) is an East Timorese politician and a key member of the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (FRETILIN). He was acting Prime Minister from May 2007 to August 2007.

A member of FRETILIN since 1974, Da Silva served on the diplomatic front for the East Timorese resistance during the years of the Indonesian occupation of Timor Leste (1975 to 1999). During the occupation, Da Silva resided in Mozambique (1976 to 1984), Portugal (1975 to 1976 and 1984 to 1985) and Australia (1985 to 1999), before returning to Timor Leste in 1999.

After Timor Leste achieved independence in 2002, Da Silva was appointed as the country's first Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. On July 10, 2006, he was sworn in as the First Deputy Prime Minister of Timor Leste. He was sworn in as the acting Prime Minister on May 19, 2007 to replace José Ramos-Horta who had been elected President of the young nation. He left office when Xanana Gusmão was sworn in as Prime Minister on August 8, 2007, following the June 2007 parliamentary election.