Carlos Vila Nova, the candidate of the only opposition party in Sao Tome and Principe, won Sunday’s presidential election with 57.54% of the votes cast, against 42.46% for his opponent, Guilherme Posser da Costa.
Vila Nova, 65, will succeeded 79-year-old Evaristo Carvalho, who did not seek a second five-year term in the largely ceremonial post.
These results, which remain provisional until validated by the Constitutional Court, were delivered by the National Electoral Commission 24 hours after the election.
“I won these elections clearly,” said Mr. Vila Nova, thanking the voters who trusted him.
He will succeed Evaristo Carvalho, 79, who did not seek a second five-year term.
Sunday’s runoff ends a competitive election, the first round of which was held in July, with 19 candidates in total. Former minister, the president-elect stressed that the socio-economic and political situation of the country is not good and that we must now think about the future.
In this archipelago, as in Cape Verde, the president plays an essentially ceremonial role. The vast majority of executive powers are concentrated in the hands of the Prime minister, who is the product of a majority in Parliament.