At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Sao Tome and Principe

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Fradique DE MENEZES
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Tome Vera CRUZ
• Assembly: Sao Tome and Principe has a unicameral National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional) with 55 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 5-year term.
• In the National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional) 55 members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms.

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:

• Patrice TROVOADA*
  • Party: Independent Democratic Action / Action démocratique indépendante (ADI)
• Fradique DE MENEZES
  • Alliance: Force for Change Democratic Movement- Party for Democratic Convergence / Movimento Democrático das Forças da Mudança- Partido de Conv (MDFM-PCD)
• Nilo GUIMARÃES
  • Party: Independent Candidate
• Fernando SOUSA PONTES
  • Party: Independent Candidate
• Luís COSTA ALEGRE
  • Party: Independent Candidate

* In addition to the ADI, Patrice TROVOADA also enjoys the support of the Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe / Le Mouvement de libération de Sao Tomé et Principe (MLSTP) , the Democratic Coalition of the Opposition / Coalition démocratique de l'opposition (Codo) , and the Labor Party of Sao Tome / Parti travailliste de Sao Tomé (PTS).

Last Presidential election:

• The last presidential election was held on July 29, 2001. Fradique DE MENEZES was elected president.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 156,584 (2006)
• Registered Voters: 79,849 (2006)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 78,753 (2006)

·         Is São Tomé a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (31 October 1995)

·         Has São Tomé ratified CEDAW: Yes (3 June 2003)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: No

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 4 (following the 2006 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 143 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is São Tomé and Príncipe a signatory to CRPD: N/A

·         Has São Tomé and Príncipe ratified CRPD: Yes, accession (5 November 2015)

·         Population with a disability: 23,487 (est.)