Since the establishment of the presidency in São Tomé and Príncipe in 1975, the country has had five official presidents.
Manuel Pinto da Costa was the first, serving from July 12, 1975. However, the current president is Carlos Vila Nova, who assumed office on October 2, 2021.
As of 2021, the country’s constitution sets a two-term limit for presidents, which first applied to Fradique de Menezes in 2001.
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Complete List Of Sao Tome & Principe Presidents From 1975 Till Date
No | Name | Took Office | Left Office | Political Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Manuel Pinto da Costa | 12 July 1975 | 4 March 1991 | MLSTP–PSD |
2 | Leonel Mário d'Alva (Acting) | 4 March 1991 | 3 April 1991 | PCD |
3 | Miguel Trovoada | 3 April 1991 | 15 August 1995 | ADI |
Lieutenant Manuel Quintas de Almeida | 15 August 1995 | 21 August 1995 | Military |
|
Miguel Trovoada | 21 August 1995 | 3 September 2001 | ADI |
|
4 | Fradique de Menezes | 3 September 2001 | 16 July 2003 | MDFM–PL |
Major Fernando Pereira | 16 July 2003 | 23 July 2003 | Military |
|
Fradique de Menezes | 23 July 2003 | 3 September 2011 | MDFM–PL |
|
Manuel Pinto da Costa | 3 September 2011 | 3 September 2016 | Independent |
|
5 | Evaristo Carvalho | 3 September 2016 | 2 October 2021 | ADI |
6 | Carlos Vila Nova | 2 October 2021 | Incumbent | ADI |
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Who Was The First President Of The São Tomé And Príncipe?
The first president of São Tomé and Príncipe was Manuel Pinto da Costa. São Tomé and Príncipe were under Portuguese rule, but they gained independence on July 12, 1975, and Pinto da Costa became the first president shortly after that.
Pinto da Costa grew up in a time when the country was a Portuguese colony, and he went on to study in the German Democratic Republic, which is now part of Germany.
After returning to São Tomé and Príncipe in the early 1960s, he became a key member of the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe (MLSTP).
This political group worked for the country’s independence and was inspired by other African countries that were also fighting for freedom at that time.
When the political situation in Portugal changed in 1974, it made it easier for African colonies like São Tomé and Príncipe to gain independence.
On July 12, 1975, the country became free, and Pinto da Costa became the first president. His leadership at that time created a one-party socialist government.
However, this style of leadership led to problems. The country’s economy struggled, and many people became unhappy with the government’s control.
As a result, Pinto da Costa made changes in 1985 to allow for some free-market policies. He also allowed other political parties to form in 1990, which started the process of creating a multi-party democracy.
Pinto da Costa did not run for president in 1991, but he tried again in 1996 and 2001, without success. In 2011, he made a comeback and became president once more.
This time, he stabilized the country and improved the economy. His time as president left a big part on São Tomé and Príncipe, both for leading the country to independence and for the way he ruled during his first term.
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Who Is The Current President Of Sao Tome And Príncipe?
The current president of São Tomé and Príncipe is Carlos Vila Nova, who became president on October 2, 2021. Vila Nova is a prominent politician from the Independent Democratic Action (ADI) party.
Carlos Vila Nova was born on July 27, 1959, in Neves, which is located in Lembá District on the northern coast of São Tomé Island. He studied telecommunications engineering at the University of Oran in Algeria and graduated in 1985.
After his studies, he returned to São Tomé and worked for the government, becoming the head of the computer department at the Statistics Directorate.
However, in 1988, he left the government job to work in the private sector. He became a sales manager and later the director of Hotel Miramar, the only hotel in the country at the time.
Also, he worked at Pousada Boa Vista and started his travel agency called Mistral Voyages. Vila Nova joined politics in 2010 when he was appointed as the Minister of Public Works and Natural Resources in the government of Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada.
He continued in this role until 2012, after which he became the Minister of Infrastructure, Natural Resources, and the Environment from 2014 to 2018.
In 2018, he was elected to the National Assembly of São Tomé and Príncipe. In 2021, Carlos Vila Nova ran for president as the candidate for the ADI party, and won the election with 58% of the vote, defeating his main opponent, Guilherme Posser da Costa.
He was declared the president-elect in September 2021 and took office on October 2 of the same year. Vila Nova is married to Maria de Fátima Afonso Vila Nova, and they have two daughters.
He has won several honors, including the 1st Class of the Amílcar Cabral Order from Cape Verde in 2023 and the Grand Collar of the Order of Independence from Equatorial Guinea in 2024. Plus, he received the Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry from Portugal in 2022.
