No absolute majority in legislative elections

Provisional results from Sunday's legislative polls in Sao Tome and Principe indicate that no single party won an absolute majority - 28 of country's 55 parliamentary seats-, humanitarian sources told IRIN. Final results are expected in two weeks. The elections, the sources said, were "well organised inspite of allegations that candidates offered money to influence voters". A statement from a team on international observers on Monday described the polls as "free and Fair". The Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe party, (MLSTP), and the coalition made up of the Democratic Movement Force for Change and the Party of Democratic Convergence, (MDFM/MPCD), each won 23 seats, while Ue-Kedadji, an alliance of five minority parties, won nine seats. The results, BBC reported on Tuesday, are however likely to raise tension in the country because President Fradique de Menezes is close to the MDFM/MPCD and enjoys support from Ue-Kedadji. Menezes called elections after disagreeing with the prime minister, Gilherme Posser da Costa of the MLSTP, on the composition of a new cabinet and bypassing parliament to form a government of "presidential initiative" on 26 September 2001. The MLSTP protested and walked out of parliament. Sao Tome e Principe is an Atlantic Ocean archipelago of 150,000 people just off the coast of Gabon.