São Tomé and Príncipe President Carlos Vila Nova has been sworn in for a second five-year term, following his re-election in the country’s July presidential poll.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by several African and international leaders, including the presidents of Gabon and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as the prime ministers of Portugal and Mozambique.
Vila Nova, who first assumed office in 2021 with the support of the centre-right Independent Democratic Action party, secured another term after winning the election in the first round.
He polled more than 55 per cent of the votes cast, defeating his closest rival, Nito Abreu, a member of parliament supported by former Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada.
However, the election was marked by historically low voter participation, with about 59 per cent of eligible voters abstaining from the exercise.
In São Tomé and Príncipe, the presidency is largely ceremonial, with most executive authority vested in the prime minister and the government.
Attention will now shift to the country’s legislative elections scheduled for September 27, which will determine the next head of government and the political direction of the island nation in the coming years.
