Amaral received a cancer diagnosis in 2011. Amaral was one of thirteen candidates nominated for the 2012 presidential election, which will be held on 17 March 2012. However, Amaral proved too seriously ill to appear at the official launch of the presidential campaign on 29 February 2012, which jeopardised his candidacy and the election. The National Parliament of East Timor met in a plenary session in early March 2012, specifically to amend the presidential election law so that Amaral's absence from the launch would not negate the entire election.