Vote counting is underway in São Tomé and Príncipe following Sunday’s presidential election, as voters in the Central African island nation headed to the polls to choose a successor to outgoing President Carlos Vila Nova.
The election featured four candidates, including ruling party contender Nito Viegas D’Abreu, a serving member of parliament backed by former Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada, alongside two independent candidates.
Under the country’s electoral laws, a candidate must secure more than 50 per cent of the votes cast to win outright. If no candidate achieves the threshold, a run-off election will be held on August 9.
The Chairman of the National Electoral Commission, Jeudiger Nascimento, expressed concern over low voter turnout, noting that “many registered voters visited polling stations but did not cast their ballots.” However, he did not provide official turnout figures.
São Tomé and Príncipe, an Atlantic island nation widely regarded as one of Africa’s most stable democracies, has maintained a record of peaceful transfers of power since adopting a multi-party political system in the early 1990s.
Under its political system, the president performs largely ceremonial duties, while executive authority rests with the prime minister.
Africanews/Shakirat Sadiq
