São Tomé and Príncipe elects opposition candidate Carlos Vila Nova as president

Sep 20, 2021 - 22:18

0 40

Silvia Alonso Vega
September 19th, 2021

São Tomé and Príncipe elects opposition candidate Carlos Vila Nova as president

Carlos Vila Nova, who ran as the candidate for the center-right Independent Democratic Action party, obtained 57,54% of the popular vote in the second round of the 2021 São Toméan presidential elections. Support for Vila Nova increased from 35,342 votes in the first round to 45,481 votes in the second round. While Vila Nova secured 57,54% of the popular vote, the candidate for the center-left Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe (MLSTP) Party Guilherme Posser da Costa obtained 42,46% of the vote. Out of the 123,103 eligible voters, only 80,535 cast a vote in the second round elections, adding up to a turnout of 65%.

In São Tomé and Príncipe, the president has largely ceremonial powers. This means Vila Nova is allowed to arbitrate in political disputes but unable to govern. A member of the center-right opposition party, Vila Nova will be working with the center-left government of prime minister Jorge Lopes Bom Jesus. The prime minister is a member of the majority party MLSTP. Posser da Costa recognized the electoral results on September 6th and congratulated Vila Nova on his win. The inauguration of the new president has been postponed to October 2nd due to the difficulty of coordinating the agendas of the Heads of State and Government.

Veiga, A. (2021, September 7). 11.924 votos é a grande vantagem de Vila Nova sobre Posser da Costa na 2ª volta. Téla Nón. Retrieved from https://www.telanon.info/politica/eleicoes-presidenciais/2021/09/07/35152/11-924-votos-e-a-grande-vantagem-de-vila-nova-sobre-posser-da-costa-na-2a-volta/

Opposition candidate Carlos Vila Nova wins Sao Tome presidency: partial results. (2021, September 6). Africa News. Retrieved from https://www.africanews.com/2021/09/06/opposition-candidate-carlos-vila-nova-wins-sao-tome-presidency-partial/

Veiga, A. (2021, September 7). Posser da Costa reconheceu derrota nas eleições e felicitou o Presidente Eleito. Téla Nón. Retrieved from https://www.telanon.info/politica/eleicoes-presidenciais/2021/09/07/35151/posser-da-costa-reconheceu-derrota-nas-eleicoes-e-felicitou-o-presidente-eleito/

São Tomé/Eleições: Posse do Presidente Vila Nova adiada para 02 de outubro. (2021, September 18). Visão. Retrieved from https://visao.sapo.pt/atualidade/mundo/2021-09-18-sao-tome-eleicoes-posse-do-presidente-vila-nova-adiada-para-02-de-outubro/

Source: Téla Nón website
Link: https://www.telanon.info/politica/eleicoes-presidenciais/2021/09/06/35136/novo-presidente-da-republica-eleito-promete-pacificar-a-sociedade-santomense/

Bibliography