Voters across the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe have headed to the polls for a pivotal presidential election, with the country’s democratic reputation being put to the test amid a massive political fallout.
The election comes at a tough time for the country’s 142 000 registered voters, who are currently grappling with crippling fuel shortages, high inflation, constant blackouts, and low job prospects for young people.
Incumbent President Carlos Vila Nova is gunning for a second five-year term, but things look completely different this time around. He is running as an independent after a bitter fallout last year, when he sacked the sitting Prime Minister. That move triggered an intense power struggle with his former party, the ruling Independent Democratic Action (ADI).
Vila Nova is up against three other contenders, including the ADI’s parliamentary leader, Nito D’Abreu, who has built his campaign around tackling corruption. In a strange political twist, the country’s main opposition party has teamed up with Vila Nova to help him take down his former allies.
Because of the country’s political system, the President holds serious executive power, including the right to dissolve parliament and appoint the Prime Minister. Electoral officials have confirmed that if no single candidate manages to clear the 50% hurdle, the country will head to a run-off election to decide the winner.
–Reuters/ChannelAfrica–
