Fidelis Manuel Leite Magalhães
Magalhães is President of the Council of Ministers of Timor-Leste.
Magalhães is an East Timorese political economist, public policy specialist and politician. Since 2020, he is the President of the Council of Ministers. This post ranks immediately after the Prime Minister and deputy Prime Minister, but above other members of the government and other ministers. His main function is to coordinate the legislative and regulatory process of the government, in coordination with other ministries.
Between 2018 and 2020, he served as the Minister for Legislative Reform and Parliamentary Affairs. At the same time, he acted as Timor-Leste’s Chief Negotiator at the World Trade Organization and as Chair of the Sixth Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development. Furthermore, he was briefly appointed as acting Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs and acting Minister of Tourism, Trade and Industry.
The political career of Magalhães started in 2011, after he joined the 2012 Presidential campaign of Taur Matan Ruak. His first position was in the socio-political research and communication department, but he was quickly promoted as spokesman. They won the presidential election and Magalhães was appointed as Ruak’s representative in the process of transition of power. After Ruak was sworn in, Magalhães became his Chief of Staff.
Magalhães resigned in 2015, in order to study in the United States, at the Harvard Kennedy School. He returned to politics quickly as co-founder of a new political party, the People’s Liberation Party (PLP). They form the current coalition with the parties Fretilin and Khunto.