approved by the
president
election results : Miguel TROVOADA reelected president in Sao Tome's
second multiparty presidential election; percent of vote - NA

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia
Nacional (55 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: parliament dissolved by President TROVOADA in July 1994;
early elections held 2 October 1994 (next to be held October 1998)
election results: percent of vote by party - MLSTP 49%, PCD-GR 25.5%,
ADI 25.5%; seats by party - MLSTP 27, PCD-GR 14, ADI 14

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the National
Peoples Assembly

Political parties and leaders: Party for Democratic
Convergence-Reflection Group or PCD-GR [Armindo AGUIAR, secretary
general]; Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe or
MLSTP [Francisco Fortunas PIRES]; Christian Democratic Front or FDC
[Alphonse Dos SANTOS]; Democratic Opposition Coalition or CODO;
Independent Democratic Action or ADI [Carlos NEVES]; other small
parties

International organization participation: 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, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

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) 697-4211

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

Flag description: 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

Economy

Economy - overview: This small poor island economy has become
increasingly dependent on cocoa since independence over 20 years ago.
However, cocoa production has substantially declined because of
drought and mismanagement. The resulting shortage of cocoa for export
has created a persistent balance-of-payments problem. Sao Tome