São Tomé and Príncipe votes amid political tension and constitutional crisis
Voters in São Tomé and Príncipe go to the polls on Sunday for a presidential election marked by political tension and a constitutional crisis, with the incumbent running as an independent.
On Sunday, voters in São Tomé and Príncipe will cast their ballots in a presidential election. The small island nation off Africa's west coast has registered about 142,000 voters, approximately 15% of whom live abroad. Since independence from Portugal in 1975, the country has built a reputation for peaceful and competitive elections, but this year's vote takes place in a tense political atmosphere and amid a lingering constitutional crisis.
President Carlos Vila Nova is seeking a second term as an independent candidate, rather than as the nominee of the ruling Acção Democrática Independente (ADI), which he represented when elected in 2021. Tensions between Vila Nova and his former party began in January last year when he dismissed Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada. Trovoada's replacement, Ilza Amado Vaz, resigned after just three days, and the current prime minister, Américo Ramos, took office.
Vila Nova faces four other candidates, including ADI parliamentary leader Nito D’Abreu. Another former prime minister, Jorge Bom Jesus, tried to withdraw his independent candidacy but missed the deadline and remains on the ballot. The main opposition party, the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe, is now part of a broad coalition backing the incumbent, despite being staunch ADI opponents. Meanwhile, an ADI faction led by Prime Minister Ramos supports D’Abreu. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, a second round will be held.
Businessman Domingos Monteiro, known as “Nino,” who has been president of the São Toméan Football Federation since 2015, was disqualified after the constitutional court ruled he did not meet eligibility requirements. Monteiro was born on the island, but his parents never became naturalized citizens after moving from Cape Verde. “The constitutional court is violating the principle of equal rights … It is time for descendants born in São Tomé and Príncipe to say no to discrimination, to the culture of xenophobia and persecution,” Monteiro said.
Voters' top priorities include tackling government corruption, high inflation, severe youth unemployment, chronic fuel shortages, and frequent blackouts. Rivals of Vila Nova hope these issues will prevent him from winning a second term. D’Abreu called corruption “the greatest catastrophe the country has experienced in this half-century of independence” during Tuesday's presidential debate. The country is seen as a trusted western ally for security and maritime trade in the Gulf of Guinea, one of the world's biggest piracy hotspots. It also has offshore oil deposits that contribute significantly to its economy. Observer missions from the European Union, G7+, and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries are monitoring the polls.
