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The new president of Sao Tome and Principe, Fradique de Menezes, has
dissolved the cabinet of Prime Minister Guilherme Posser da Costa, marking the end of a seven-year cohabitation between the country's two main parties.
The Portuguese news agency, Lusa, reported de Menezes as attributing his
decision to a lack of agreement at negotiations on a cabinet reshuffle. At a
news conference on Wednesday, Posser da Costa said the main bone of
contention had been a presidential demand for the dismissal of key
ministers.
De Menezes was sworn in on 3 September after winning presidential polls on
29 July. He comes from the Independent Democratic Alliance (ADI), which is
also the party of his predecessor, Miguel Trovoada.
Posser da Costa had become prime minister in early 1999 after his Movement
for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe (MLSTP) won 31 of the 55 seats
in parliament. The MLSTP had also won the previous legislative election, in
1994, and had cohabitated with Trovoada since then.
A media source in Sao Tome told IRIN that some analysts felt the ADI wanted
early parliamentary elections so as to benefit from the high level of
support shown for the president at July polls.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
