No problems with army, says president

Sao Tome and Principe's President Fradique de Menezes on Monday downplayed differences within the archipelago's army over recent promotions, news agencies reported. Menezes said there had been some unease over his promotion of two officers to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel on 5 September, the Portuguese news agency Lusa (Agencia de Noticias de Portugal) reported. There had been reports that the promotions were made by Menezes without the approval of a senior defence committee with the mandate to promote officers, but the president said they were decided by cabinet and not himself, the report added. Minister of Defence Victor Tavares Monteiro, who was one of the officers promoted from reserve captain, was quoted as telling reporters that his promotion was legal. A former presidential candidate in 2001, Monteiro said the controversy over the promotions was "a concerted campaign against the president," Lusa reported. Military sources have said Monteiro's promotion had raised concerns within the army in the last few weeks, on the basis that a reserve captain could not be promoted in this way. The second officer promoted was Major Luiz Maria, who held the defence portfolio in De Menezes' government before elections held in March this year, Lusa stated. Menezes called elections after he clashed with the then prime minister, Gilherme Posser da Costa (of the Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe, MLSTP) on the composition of a new cabinet, and bypassed parliament to form a "government of presidential initiative" on 26 September 2001. Sao Tome and Principe is an island chain just off the West African country of Gabon, and has a population of some 150,000 people.