São Tomé and Príncipe holds crucial presidential vote

São Tomé and Príncipe is voting in a presidential election on Sunday, with incumbent Carlos Vila Nova seeking a second five-year term.

Outgoing President Carlos Vila Nova is seeking another term against fellow party member Nito Viegas D'Abreu, a sitting lawmaker backed by former prime minister Patrice Trovoada, as well as two independent candidates.

The Gulf of Guinea archipelago, a former Portuguese colony with a population of about 240,000, has experienced several attempted coups, including one in 2022 that was quickly foiled by the military.

Although the presidency is largely ceremonial, the office oversees state representation and the promulgation of laws, while executive authority rests mainly with the prime minister.

Elected in 2021 with the backing of the Independent Democratic Action (ADI) party, the 66-year-old Vila Nova has campaigned as a guarantor of the country's political stability.

His presidency has drawn criticism over the dismissal of then-prime minister Trovoada in January 2025, a decision later ruled unconstitutional.

Now leading the ADI and seeking to return as prime minister in September's legislative election, Trovoada is backing Viegas D'Abreu's presidential bid.

At 43, Viegas D'Abreu is presenting himself as the voice of the generation born after São Tomé and Príncipe gained independence in 1975.

The country's economy relies heavily on agriculture, with cocoa and coffee among its main exports, alongside vanilla and pepper.

Despite its natural resources, São Tomé and Príncipe remains heavily reliant on foreign aid, with most of its population living below the poverty line.