São Tomé Opposition Wins Vote by 561 Ballots but Still Needs a Partner
Key Facts
- The country. São Tomé and Príncipe is a two-island, Portuguese-speaking nation off Central Africa with about 240,000 people. Its economy, under US$1 billion a year (World Bank, 2025), is smaller than many US counties’.
- Why it matters. Power has changed hands peacefully at the ballot box for three decades. Cocoa, tourism, donor aid and hopes of offshore oil drive an economy that depends heavily on stable government.
- Why now. The vote ends a turbulent cycle that began when the president sacked the prime minister in January 2025. The ruling party has now lost the majority it won in 2022.
- What happened. Provisional results on 29 September gave the opposition MLSTP–PSD 24 of 55 seats and the ruling ADI 23, a gap of 561 votes.
- The numbers. A majority needs 28 seats. A six-seat coalition, MCI–PS/PUN, holds the balance; turnout was a record low of about 37 percent.
- What it means for you. No unrest is reported and daily life is normal. Investors should expect slower decisions on contracts, licences and projects until a government forms.
- Still open. The Constitutional Court must confirm the seats, and no coalition deal exists yet. Nobody knows who will be the next prime minister.
São Tomé and Príncipe’s opposition has won the most seats in parliament for the first time in 24 years. But it fell four seats short of a majority, so a small six-seat coalition now decides who governs.
The São Tomé election of Sunday 27 September 2026 produced a narrow win for the opposition and a hung parliament. São Tomé and Príncipe is a former Portuguese colony of about 240,000 people in the Gulf of Guinea.
Two big parties dominate its politics. The Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe–Social Democratic Party (MLSTP–PSD) led the country to independence in 1975, while the Independent Democratic Action (ADI) has governed since 2022.
From 367 votes to 561
On Monday 28 September the National Electoral Commission (CEN) published a first national count. It gave the MLSTP–PSD 17,551 votes, just 367 more than the ADI’s 17,184.
That first count left out the votes cast abroad. On Tuesday 29 September the commission released fuller provisional figures that included the diaspora, and the gap widened.
The MLSTP–PSD took 18,622 votes and 24 seats, against 18,061 votes and 23 seats for the ADI. The margin in the São Tomé election is therefore 561 votes, not the 367 first reported.
The Basta Movement won 4,639 votes and two seats. The MCI–PS/PUN coalition won 4,142 votes but six seats, because its vote was concentrated in the districts where it stood.
Three smaller parties won no seats: Nossa Terra, the Democratic Convergence Party and the Force for Change Democratic Movement. All results remain provisional.
Who is who
The MLSTP–PSD is led by Américo Barros. It ruled as the single party after independence and was last the most-voted party in 2002.
The ADI is led by Américo Ramos, the outgoing prime minister. The party won an outright majority of 30 seats in 2022, so losing seven is a sharp fall.
The MCI–PS/PUN is an alliance of the Movement of Independent Citizens–Socialist Party and the National Unity Party. It now holds the six seats that either big party needs to reach 28.
A kingmaker that almost did not run
The coalition was allowed to stand in only three districts after a series of its candidates were excluded from the race. Its leader still claimed six seats and said the alliance would be the “duque de pau”, the deciding card.
He congratulated the MLSTP–PSD on its victory, according to RFI, the French public broadcaster. He also said both big parties had made contact and that his coalition was closing the door to neither.
Basta’s president, Levy Nazaré, announced his resignation after the vote. He said he would stay on until a new government is formed.
Claims, denials and a “technical tie”
Before any official figures, Barros declared victory and said his party had won more than 26 seats. He also said Ramos had congratulated him.
Ramos denied that, saying he could not congratulate anyone without final data. He spoke of a “technical tie” but added that, with no absolute majority, “everything is on the table” for a coalition.
The electoral commission had first refused to announce seats, saying that job belongs to the Constitutional Court. Its chairman, Jeudiger do Nascimento, said it published them anyway for fear of social tension.
A system under strain
The vote closes a turbulent cycle. On 6 January 2025 President Carlos Vila Nova dismissed the ADI prime minister Patrice Trovoada, citing his long absences and his government’s failures.
Ramos became prime minister soon after and now also leads the ADI. Vila Nova won a second term in the first round of the presidential election on 19 July 2026, defeating the ADI candidate.
Under the constitution the president appoints the prime minister after the election, taking the results into account. On 29 September Vila Nova told RFI the new government would reflect whatever parliamentary support he is guaranteed.
A record low turnout
Of 146,929 registered voters, only 49,720 cast valid ballots. The commission put abstention at 62.92 percent, a record for the country.
That is worse than the presidential election in July, when abstention was 58.81 percent. Low turnout will weigh on the legitimacy of whichever coalition takes office.
Observers from the European Union and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) described voting day as calm. The EU mission also raised questions about the politicisation of the justice system.
What this means for expats and investors
São Tomé and Príncipe has a long record of peaceful handovers of power, and no unrest has been reported. Visitors and residents should see no change in daily life.
The practical risk is drift. Coalition talks can take weeks, and decisions on cocoa, tourism projects and offshore oil exploration may wait for a new cabinet.
The local currency, the dobra, is pegged to the euro, so the political change itself is unlikely to move exchange rates. Donor-funded programmes usually continue through a change of government.
What Is Not Known
The Constitutional Court has not yet certified the final result, and no coalition agreement has been announced. It is not known whom the MCI–PS/PUN will back.
It is also unclear whether the ADI will contest the count, or when a new prime minister will be named. Detailed district-level results have not been published.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the São Tomé election in 2026?
The opposition MLSTP–PSD won the most votes and a provisional 24 of 55 seats, 561 votes ahead of the ruling ADI. It fell four seats short of the 28 needed for a majority.
Why did the margin change from 367 to 561 votes?
The first count on 28 September covered only votes cast inside the country. The provisional results of 29 September added the diaspora vote, which widened the gap.
What happens next in São Tomé and Príncipe?
The Constitutional Court must certify the seats. Coalition talks will follow, with the six-seat MCI–PS/PUN holding the balance, and the president then appoints a prime minister.
Was turnout really that low?
Yes. Abstention reached 62.92 percent, a record, compared with 58.81 percent at the presidential election in July.
Sources
Rádio Somos Todos Primos — first national count, 28 September 2026 · Rádio Somos Todos Primos — provisional seats and votes incl. diaspora, 29 September 2026 · RFI — parties react to provisional results · Observador / Lusa — MLSTP wins without an absolute majority · World Bank — São Tomé and Príncipe data
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error
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