President revokes decree dissolving parliament

Sao Tome and Principe's President Fradique de Menezes, on Friday overruled his earlier decision to dissolve parliament and call for early elections, the Portuguese news agency, Lusa reported. The decision averted a constitutional crisis, but the main political parties strongly criticized de Menezes, saying he had weakened democracy. Guilherme Posser da Costa, of the Democratic Movement Force for Change and the Party of Democratic Convergence coalition (MDFM-PCD), was quoted by Lusa as saying: "Parliament is now legitimized by a presidential decree and not by the people and this is a perversion of democracy. It is ridiculous and absurd". MDFM's Edgar Neves was quoted by Lusa as saying that the call for early elections was an "ill-conceived action". Menezes, he added, had realized that backing for him from the MDFM, the second-largest party, had waned and that he would not receive the party's support in an election called for April 13, Lusa reported. Prime Minister Maria das Neves and Chief Justice Alice Graca launched an attempt last week to avert the constitutional crisis on the archipelago following Tuesday's dissolution of parliament. They met de Menezes on Thursday to discuss a possible compromise that would oblige parliament to pledge to organize a referendum on some constitutional changes, namely those reducing presidential powers. The crisis had loomed after several parliamentary leaders threatened to ignore the dissolution decree and denounced Menezes' actions as "unconstitutional". They said de Menezes was headed towards "dictatorship", Lusa reported. De Menezes dissolved the 55-member parliament following a standoff over constitutional reforms, saying in a decree that there was a "serious political crisis" in the country and lawmakers had used "insulting language" instead of dialogue with him. Fresh elections, he added, would be held on April 13. The parliament had earlier approved a constitutional reform package limiting presidential powers which de Menezes vetoed. Sao Tome and Principe is an island chain of 150,000 people, just off the West African country of Gabon. IRIN coverage of Sao Tome and Principe