Leonel Mário d'Alva is a São Toméan

São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about apart and about , respectively, off...

 politician. He served as Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about apart and about , respectively, off...

 from 21 December 1974 until 12 July 1975, when the country gained independence from Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

.

From late 1975 to 1980, D'Alva was President of the São Toméan National Assembly

National Assembly of São Tomé and Príncipe

The unicameral National Assembly of São Tomé and Príncipe is the country's legislative body.The current National Assembly, formed following elections held on 26 March 2006, has a total of 55 members elected in 7 multi-member constituencies using the party-list proportional representation system...

. After the country's first democratic elections in 1991, he was again elected National Assembly President.
He also served as foreign minister

Foreign minister

A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...

 from 1975 to 1978. He was also acting president from 4 March to 3 April 1991.
He currently heads the Democratic Convergence Party-Reflection Group

Democratic Convergence Party-Reflection Group

The Democratic Convergence Party-Reflection Group is a political party in São Tomé and Príncipe. It was founded on 4 November 1990 by MLSTP dissidents, independents, and young professionals. Leonel Mário d'Alva is the current party leader....

(PCD-GR), one of the country's major political parties.