Politics: São Tomé and Príncipe
Key Facts
—Who: National Assembly (parliament) of São Tomé and Príncipe, a two-island Atlantic nation off Central Africa
—What: Reports count 19 women among the 55 deputies, 34.5%, described as a record
—Leader: Nilda Borges da Mata, 50, a former environment minister, was elected Assembly president on Tuesday 10 November
—Open: No party holds a majority, and the prime minister is not yet named
—As of: 12 November 2026
São Tomé and Príncipe’s new parliament seats 19 women among its 55 deputies, but no party holds a majority.
A New Parliament Without a Majority
São Tomé and Príncipe voted on Sunday 27 September 2026 for the 55 seats of its National Assembly, the country’s parliament. The country is a two-island Atlantic nation off Central Africa, and our country explainer sets out its background.
The MLSTP-PSD, the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe, a social democratic party, won 24 seats. ADI, Independent Democratic Action and the outgoing governing party, won 23 seats, down seven from 2022.
MCI-PS/PUN, a smaller alliance of parties, took six seats, and Movimento Basta, a smaller party, won two. No party reached 28 seats, the number needed for a majority.
ADI and MCI-PS/PUN together hold 29 seats under a parliamentary incidence agreement signed after the Constitutional Court, the country’s top court for election results, confirmed them. That is a supply and confidence arrangement, meaning the smaller bloc backs the government in votes.
Nilda Borges da Mata Takes the Chair
The new Assembly elected its president on Tuesday 10 November 2026. Nilda Borges da Mata, 50, a former Minister of Environment, Youth and Sustainable Tourism, was proposed by ADI and elected unanimously, with 55 votes.
ADI secretary-general Vasth Santos is vice-president. MLSTP-PSD withdrew its own candidacies for the Assembly’s leadership posts on the Monday before the vote.
Borges da Mata is one of only a few women to preside over the Assembly. Accounts differ on whether she is the second or the third, so we do not settle the number here.
Women Deputies at a New High
One Portuguese-language report puts the number of women elected at 19 of 55, which is 34.5%, and calls it a record. Another report counts 18, so the exact figure is not settled.
The Commission for Monitoring the Parity Law, the body that watches the country’s gender-parity rules, said women were 41% of candidates in 2026, up from 34%. It also said two parties fell short of the quota.
We did not find the share of women in the previous legislature, so we make no comparison. A rise in candidates does not by itself guarantee a rise in seats.
Who Will Lead the Government
President Carlos Vila Nova, the head of state, was re-elected and sworn in for a second term in September 2026. On Tuesday 10 November he invited MLSTP-PSD, the largest party, to propose a prime minister and gave it 24 hours to reply in writing.
The proposal has to come with evidence of parliamentary support, and the reply was due on Wednesday 11 November. We had not seen a reply at publication, and whether MLSTP-PSD can assemble 28 seats, or whether the ADI and MCI-PS/PUN bloc with 29 leads the government instead, is not known.
Our earlier report on the president inviting the top party to name a premier gives the background. The outgoing prime minister is Américo Ramos of ADI.
Why This Matters to Readers in the US
São Tomé and Príncipe is a small democracy in the Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of Central Africa. The result shapes which government the islands get, which is what firms and aid donors watch.
The share of women among deputies is one measure of democratic quality. It also shows whether a quota law, which sets a minimum share of women on candidate lists, changes who sits in parliament.
What Is Not Known
The exact count of women, 19 or 18, is not confirmed by an official Assembly list that we could read. The share of women in the previous legislature was not found.
It is not known whom the president will name as prime minister, or whether MLSTP-PSD can win enough votes. The next step is the reply of MLSTP-PSD to the president’s invitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many women are in the new São Tomé and Príncipe Assembly?
Reports describe it as a record: one Portuguese-language report counts 19 women among the 55 deputies, about 34.5%. Another counts 18, so the exact figure is not settled.
Who is the new president of the Assembly?
Nilda Borges da Mata, 50, a former Minister of Environment, Youth and Sustainable Tourism. ADI proposed her, and she was elected unanimously on Tuesday 10 November 2026 with 55 votes.
Does any party have a majority?
No. MLSTP-PSD won 24 seats and ADI 23, while a majority needs 28. ADI and MCI-PS/PUN hold 29 seats together under an incidence agreement.
Who will be prime minister?
That is not yet known. On Tuesday 10 November 2026 President Carlos Vila Nova invited MLSTP-PSD, the largest party, to propose a prime minister with evidence of parliamentary support.
Sources
Constitutional Court confirmation of the 27 September 2026 legislative results; announcements of the National Assembly and the Office of the President on 10 November 2026, as reported in Portuguese-language media; Commission for Monitoring the Parity Law, statement on candidate quotas.
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