Short facts about the government of Sao Tome and Principe
| Country
name: |
conventional long
form: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and
Principe
conventional short form: Sao Tome and
Principe
local long form: Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e
Principe
local short form: Sao Tome e
Principe |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| Administrative divisions: |
2 provinces; Principe, Sao
Tome
note: Principe has had self-government since 29 April
1995 |
| Independence: |
12 July 1975 (from
Portugal) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day, 12 July
(1975) |
| Constitution: |
approved March 1990; effective 10
September 1990 |
| Legal
system: |
based on Portuguese legal system and
customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state:
President Miguel TROVOADA (since 4 April 1991)
head of
government: Prime Minister Guilherma Posser da COSTA (since 30 December
1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on
the proposal of the prime minister
elections: president elected
by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 30 June and 21 July
1996 (next to be held NA July 2001); prime minister chosen by the National
Assembly and approved by the president
election results: Miguel
TROVOADA reelected president in Sao Tome's second multiparty presidential
election; percent of vote - Miguel TROVOADA 52.74%, Manuel Pinto da COSTA
47.26% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral National Assembly or
Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 8 November 1998 (next
to be held NA November 2003)
election results: percent of vote by
party - MLSTP-PSD 56%, PCD 14.5%, ADI 29%; seats by party - MLSTP-PSD 31, ADI
16, PCD 8 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by
the National Assembly) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Independent Democratic Action or ADI
[Carlos NEVES]; Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe-Social
Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Manuel Pinto Da COSTA]; Party for Democratic
Convergence or PCD [Aldo BANDEIRA]; Democratic Renovation Party [Armindo GRACA];
other small parties |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International organization participation: |
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, G-77,
IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user),
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
Sao Tome and Principe does not have an
embassy in the US, but does have a Permanent Mission to the UN, headed by First
Secretary Domingos Augusto FERREIRA, located at 122 East 42nd Street, Suite
1604, New York, NY 10168, telephone [1] (212)
317-0533 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
the US does not have an embassy in Sao
Tome and Principe; the Ambassador to Gabon is accredited to Sao Tome and
Principe on a nonresident basis and makes periodic visits to the
islands |
| Flag
description: |
three horizontal bands of green (top),
yellow (double width), and green with two black five-pointed stars placed side
by side in the center of the yellow band and a red isosceles triangle based on
the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia | Source: World Factbook |
