|
|
Template:Election São Tomé and Príncipe The Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe (MLSTP) or Movimento de Libertação de São Tomé e Príncipe, in Portuguese, is one of the main political parties in São Tomé and Príncipe.
| Contents |
History
Early years
The party, then called the Committee for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe, was founded in 1960 as a nationalist group opposed to Portuguese colonial rule. It was set up by exiles who eventually established their base in nearby Gabon. Dr. Manuel Pinto da Costa, who would eventually become President of an independent São Tomé, was the leader of the CLSTP. In 1972, the CLSTP became the MLSTP.
After the April 1974 coup d'etat in Portugal, the new government agreed to handover power to the MLSTP. Later that year, the MLSTP was recognized as the sole legitimate representative of the people.
Independence & one-party rule
Following a brief period of transitional government, elections were held for a constituent assembly and the MLSTP won all 16 of its seats.
Independence was achieved on July 12, 1975, with Manuel Pinto da Costa as President and Miguel Trovoada as Prime Minister. The constitution promulgated on December 12, 1975, effectively vested absolute power in the President and the MLSTP became the nations' sole legal political party.
During the late 1970s and 1980s, the party was marxist oriented and in turn the nation developed strong ties with Cuba, China, East Germany, and the Soviet Union.
Transition to democratic rule
In late 1989, a progressive faction within the party embarked on a transition to full Multi-party democracy, after a debate at the national party conference.
A democratic constitution introduced by the MLSTP Central Committee was approved overwhelmingly in an August 1990 referendum.
At the MLSTP Party Congress in October 1990, Carlos da Graça was appointed the new Secretary-General, in succession to Manuel Pinto da Costa. In addition, the party's name was amended to the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe-Social Democratic Party (MLSTP-PSD).
MLSTP-PSD_logo.bmp
In an extraordinary Congress of the MLSTP-PSD held in May 1998, Manuel Pinto da Costa was elected unopposed as president of the party, a post that he holds to this date.
The highest ranking member of the MLSTP-PSD in the current government is Prime Minister Maria do Carmo Silveira.
Performance in recent elections
In the nation's first democratic elections, held in January 1991, the party suffered a defeat at the polls capturing only 30.5% of the vote and 21 seats in the 55-member National Assembly.
December 1992 local elections resulted in the MLSTP-PSD gaining control of five of the country's seven provinces.
In the 1994 Legislative elections, the party received 37% of the vote and regained control of the National Assembly winning 27 of the 55-seats, one short of an absolute majority.
March 1995 elections to the newly created seven member assembly on the smaller island of Príncipe resulted in another victory for the party.
Manuel Pinto da Costa ran as the MLSTP-PSD candidate in the 1996 Presidential election. In the first round, he came in second behind the incumbent President Miguel Trovoada, winning 39% of the vote to Trovoada's 41%. In the second round he was defeated by Trovoada who captured 52.7% of the vote to his 47.3%.
In the 1998 legislative elections, the MLSTP-PSD won 50.6% of the vote and increased its majority in the National Assembly from 27 to 31 seats.
In the July 2001 Presidential election, Manuel Pinto da Costa again attempted to regain the presidency, but was soundly defeated by businessman Fradique de Menezes 55.2% to 40.0%.
March 2002 legislative elections maintained the MLSTP's status as the largest party in the National Assembly, but only by one seat. The party received 39.6% of the vote and won 24 of the 55-seats.
On February 27, 2005, Guilherme Posser da Costa, a former prime minister, was elected as head of the party, succeeding Manuel Pinto da Costa. [1] (http://www.afriquecentrale.info/fr/news/news.asp?rubID=1&srubID=10&themeID=1&newsID=1974)