0 September 1990

Legal system: based on Portuguese legal system and customary law;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Miguel TROVOADA (since
4 April 1991)

head of government: Prime Minister Guilherma Posser da COSTA (since
30 December 1998)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
proposal of the prime minister

elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 30 June and 21 July 1996 (next to be held NA July
2001); prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved
by the president

election results: Miguel TROVOADA reelected president in Sao Tome's
second multiparty presidential election; percent of vote - Miguel
TROVOADA 52.74%, Manuel Pinto da COSTA 47.26%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia
Nacional (55 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to
serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 8 November 1998 (next to be held NA November
2003)

election results: percent of vote by party - MLSTP-PSD 56%, PCD
14.5%, ADI 29%; seats by party - MLSTP-PSD 31, ADI 16, PCD 8

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the National
Assembly)

Political parties and leaders: Independent Democratic Action or ADI
[Carlos NEVES]; Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and
Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Manuel Pinto Da
COSTA]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Aldo BANDEIRA];
Democratic Renovation Party [Armindo GRACA]; other small parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEEAC,
ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU,
NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: Sao Tome and Principe does not
have an embassy in the US, but does have a Permanent Mission to the
UN, headed by First Secretary Domingos Augusto FERREIRA, located at
122 East 42nd Street, Suite 1604, New York, NY 10168, telephone [1]
(212) 317-0533

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an
embassy in Sao Tome and Principe; the Ambassador to Gabon is
accredited to Sao Tome and Principe on a nonresident basis and makes
periodic visits to the islands