São Tomé and Príncipe legislative election, 1998
Encyclopedia
Parliamentary elections were held in São Tomé and Príncipe
on 8 November 1998. The result was a victory for the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe-Social Democratic Party
, which won 31 of the 55 seats in the National Assembly
. Voter Turnout was 64.5%.
issued a decree setting the polling date at 8 November.
Nine political parties competed for the 55 seats at stake. These included the three represented in the outgoing legislature
: the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe (MLSTP-PSD), the Democratic Convergence Party (PCD) and the Independent Democratic Action (ADI). Since the previous elections in 1994, the first two groups had governed in a coalition, led since November 1996 by Prime Minister Raul Bragança Neto
. ADI, for its part, supported the policies of President Trovoada.
The election campaign lasted from 22 October to 6 November. Issues debated centered on the exploitation of offshore oil reserves and the country’s entry into the monetary Franc zone. Mr. Bragança (MLSTP) stated that his party had improved economic conditions and brought political stability to Sao Tome, which had seen a succession of governments in the 1990s. Led by Alda Bandeira
, the PCD called for continued coalition rule to ensure such stability.
Polling day was monitored by international observers. Final results gave an absolute majority (31 seats) to the left-leaning MLSTP-PSD, which had fallen short of this edge by only one seat in 1994. In this context, ADI alleged irregularities in the voting procedure. The victors promptly announced that their priority would be to reorganize the economy and thus alleviate the widespread poverty plaguing the nation.
On 30 December, President Trovoada appointed former Foreign Minister Guilherme Posser da Costa
(MLSTP) as Prime Minister; he and the new Cabinet were sworn in on 5 January 1999.
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...
on 8 November 1998. The result was a victory for the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe-Social Democratic Party
Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe
The Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe/Social Democratic Party or Movimento de Libertação de São Tomé e Príncipe/Partido Social Democrata, in Portuguese, is one of the main political parties in São Tomé and Príncipe...
, which won 31 of the 55 seats in the 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...
. Voter Turnout was 64.5%.
Background
The 1998 National Assembly elections were originally scheduled for late September/early October as impressive progress on voter registration was made. On 1 September, however, President Miguel TrovoadaMiguel Trovoada
Miguel dos Anjos da Cunha Lisboa Trovoada was Prime Minister and President of São Tomé and Príncipe. Currently he is the Executive Secretary of the Gulf of Guinea Commission.-Background:...
issued a decree setting the polling date at 8 November.
Nine political parties competed for the 55 seats at stake. These included the three represented in the outgoing legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
: the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe (MLSTP-PSD), the Democratic Convergence Party (PCD) and the Independent Democratic Action (ADI). Since the previous elections in 1994, the first two groups had governed in a coalition, led since November 1996 by Prime Minister Raul Bragança Neto
Raul Bragança Neto
Raul Bragança Neto is a former prime minister of São Tomé and Príncipe. He held the post from 19 November 1996 to 5 January 1999. He is a member of the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe-Social Democratic Party and served as a Major in the Sao Tome Army.-References:...
. ADI, for its part, supported the policies of President Trovoada.
The election campaign lasted from 22 October to 6 November. Issues debated centered on the exploitation of offshore oil reserves and the country’s entry into the monetary Franc zone. Mr. Bragança (MLSTP) stated that his party had improved economic conditions and brought political stability to Sao Tome, which had seen a succession of governments in the 1990s. Led by Alda Bandeira
Alda Bandeira
Alda Bandeira Tavares Vaz da Conceição is a politician in São Tomé and Príncipe.Bandeira was a founder of the Democratic Convergence Party-Reflection Group, which won legislative elections in 1991. She served as foreign minister from 1991 until 1993. In 1996 she ran for president of the country,...
, the PCD called for continued coalition rule to ensure such stability.
Polling day was monitored by international observers. Final results gave an absolute majority (31 seats) to the left-leaning MLSTP-PSD, which had fallen short of this edge by only one seat in 1994. In this context, ADI alleged irregularities in the voting procedure. The victors promptly announced that their priority would be to reorganize the economy and thus alleviate the widespread poverty plaguing the nation.
On 30 December, President Trovoada appointed former Foreign Minister Guilherme Posser da Costa
Guilherme Posser da Costa
Guilherme Posser da Costa was Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1999 to 2001.Posser da Costa served as Minister of Foreign Affairs on three different occasions: 1987-1988, 1990-1991, and 1994-1996...
(MLSTP) as Prime Minister; he and the new Cabinet were sworn in on 5 January 1999.
Results
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe-Social Democratic Party Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe The Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe/Social Democratic Party or Movimento de Libertação de São Tomé e Príncipe/Partido Social Democrata, in Portuguese, is one of the main political parties in São Tomé and Príncipe... |
14,785 | 50.8 | 31 | |
| Independent Democratic Action Independent Democratic Action The Independent Democratic Action is a political party in São Tomé and Príncipe. It was established in 1991 and is a politically centrist party.... |
8,222 | 28.3 | 16 | |
| Democratic Convergence Party-Reflection Group | 4,667 | 16.0 | 8 | |
| Democratic Coalition of the Opposition | 483 | 1.7 | 0 | 0 |
| National Union for Democracy and Progress | 363 | 1.2 | 0 | New |
| People's Party of Progress People's Party of Progress The People's Party of Progress is a political party in São Tomé and Príncipe. At the last legislative elections, 3 March 2002, the party joined the Uê Kédadji alliance, that won 16.2% of the popular vote and 8 out of 55 seats. This alliance failed to win a seat in the 2006 elections.The party... |
334 | 1.1 | 0 | New |
| People's Alliance People's Alliance People's Alliance may refer to:*The People's Alliance , Belgian political party which split in 2001 into the Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie and Spirit... |
183 | 0.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Democratic Front Christian Democratic Front The Christian Democratic Front is a small political party in São Tomé and Príncipe. It failed to win any seats in the National Assembly following elections held on 26 March 2006.... |
156 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 2,951 | |||
| Total | 32,024 | 100 | 55 | 0 |
By sistrict
| District | MLSTP-PSD | PCD-GR | ADI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Água Grande | 8 | 2 | 3 |
| Cantagalo | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Caué | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Lembá Lemba The Lemba or 'wa-Remba' are a southern African ethnic group to be found in Zimbabwe and South Africa with some little known branches in Mozambique and Malawi. According to Parfitt they are thought to number 70,000... |
4 | 0 | 2 |
| Lobata Lobata District Lobata is a district of São Tomé Province. Out of the seven districts that make up the equatorial Atlantic islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, it is third largest in terms of population with approximately 16,500 residents and covers approximately 105 square kilometers. The district capital is... |
4 | 0 | 2 |
| Mé-Zóchi | 6 | 2 | 5 |
| Pagué | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 31 | 8 | 16 |