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 15 July 1996 (next to be held in
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 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: Party for Democratic Convergence
Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe-Social Democratic Party or
other small parties
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC,
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, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO (applicant)
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