São Tomé and Príncipe President Vila Nova Wins Second Term, Avoiding a Runoff

Carlos Vila Nova has won a second five-year term as president of São Tomé and Príncipe, according to preliminary results announced Monday by the National Electoral Commission, giving the incumbent an outright first-round victory in the small island nation off the coast of Central Africa.

Vila Nova secured 31,596 votes, or 55.94 percent, comfortably clearing the majority needed to avoid a runoff, the commission said. His nearest challenger, Nito d'Abreu, finished with 23,394 votes, or 41.43 percent. Two other candidates trailed far behind: Miques João Bonfim took 892 votes (1.58 percent) and Eugénio Tiny received 603 votes (1.07 percent).

Turnout reached 54.62 percent, with 58,764 voters casting ballots in the archipelago, which has a population of just over 200,000 spread across two main islands. Observers described the voting as calm and orderly, a point of pride for a country that has become one of Africa's more stable multiparty democracies despite a history of coup attempts and political turbulence since independence from Portugal in 1975.

The result hands Vila Nova a renewed mandate, though the presidency in São Tomé and Príncipe is a largely ceremonial office under the country's semi-presidential system, with executive power concentrated in the prime minister and the government drawn from parliament. Even so, the head of state plays an important role in appointing governments, dissolving parliament and acting as a check during periods of political friction, and presidential contests are closely watched barometers of the national mood.

Vila Nova, a former public-works minister who first won the presidency in 2021, campaigned on continuity and stability at a time when the cocoa-producing nation is trying to develop its fisheries, tourism and potential offshore oil resources while managing debt and its dependence on foreign aid. His allies argued that steady leadership was essential to attracting investment to one of the world's smallest economies.

The vote was the latest in a string of elections across Africa this year that have tested the resilience of democratic institutions on a continent where several nations have seen military takeovers in recent years. In São Tomé and Príncipe, the peaceful conduct of the ballot and the clear margin of victory were likely to reduce the risk of a disputed outcome. Final, certified results are expected to be confirmed by electoral authorities in the coming days.