endence Day, 12 July (1975)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
unicameral National People's Assembly (Assembleia Popular Nacional)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Miguel TROVOADA (since 4 April 1991)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Noberto COSTA ALEGRE (since 16 May 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
Party for Democratic Convergence-Reflection Group (PCD-GR), Prime Minister
Daniel Lima Dos Santos DAIO, secretary general; Movement for the Liberation
of Sao Tome and Principe (MLSTP), Carlos da GRACA; Christian Democratic
Front (FDC), Alphonse Dos SANTOS; Democratic Opposition Coalition (CODO),
leader NA; other small parties
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
President:
last held 3 March 1991 (next to be held NA March 1996); results - Miguel
TROVOADA was elected without opposition in Sao Tome's first multiparty
presidential election
National People's Assembly:
last held 20 January 1991 (next to be held NA January 1996); results -
PCD-GR 54.4%, MLSTP 30.5%, CODO 5.2%, FDC 1.5%, other 8.3%; seats - (55
total) PCD-GR 33, MLSTP 21, CODO 1; note - this was the first multiparty
election in Sao Tome and Principe
Member of:
ACP, AfDB, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, INTERPOL,
ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Joaquim Rafael BRANCO; Chancery (temporary) at 801 Second Avenue,
Suite 603, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 697-4211
US:
Ambassador to Gabon is accredited to Sao Tome and Principe on a nonresident
basis and makes periodic visits to the islands

:Sao Tome and Principe Government

Flag:
three horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double width), and green with
two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the center of the yellow
band and a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; uses the popular
pan-African colors of Ethiopia

:Sao Tome and Principe Economy

Overview:
The economy has remained dependent on cocoa since the country gained
independence nearly 15 years ago. Since then, however, cocoa production has
gradually deteriorated because of drought and mismanagement, so that by 1987
output had fallen to less than 50% of its former levels. As a result, a