Sao Tome Counts Presidential Votes, August 9 Runoff Looms if No Candidate Tops 50%
Updated
Updated · Africanews English · Jul 18
Sao Tome Counts Presidential Votes, August 9 Runoff Looms if No Candidate Tops 50%
2 articles · Updated · Africanews English · Jul 18
Summary
Vote-counting began Sunday after Sao Tome and Principe held a presidential election that could go to an August 9 second round if no candidate wins an outright majority.
Four candidates are in the race, with outgoing President Carlos Vila Nova challenged by party rival Nito Viegas D'Abreu, who is backed by former prime minister Patrice Trovoada.
Electoral commission chief Jeudiger Nascimento flagged low turnout, saying many voters reached polling stations without casting ballots, though no official participation figures were released.
The result matters mainly for political balance ahead of September legislative elections: the presidency is largely ceremonial, while executive power rests with the prime minister.
The vote is being watched beyond the 200,000-person archipelago because the country is seen as a democratic outlier in Africa and is balancing ties with the EU, Portugal, China and Russia.