Reflection Day, this Saturday, July 17, for the residents of Sao Tome and Principe, this archipelago off Gabon. They are preparing to elect their new president on Sunday. The campaign ended on Friday. Nineteen candidates are participating.
With the special envoy from the Portuguese-speaking editorial staff of RFI, Neidy Ribeiro
The presidential campaign took place in a climate of peace and quiet, said the president of the National Electoral Commission, Fernando Maquengo, who nevertheless lamented the behavior of the candidates who did not respect the health instructions related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Nineteen candidates are vying for the Republic’s presidency, a record. Analysts believe that the head of state’s function is trivialized by this large number of candidates.
This election is being held in the context of an economic and social crisis, and the authorities had to ask for itfinancial support to be able to organize it. Massive corruption, condemned by civil society and by the President of the Republic himself, is the main cause of this crisis.
This week, at the time of National Day, the President Evaristo De Carvalho – which does not run for a second period – has warned of the phenomenon of the purchase of political conscience, the so-called “bath”, which according to him threatens democracy in Sao-Tome and Principe.
The National Electoral Commission guaranteed that justice would be done in the event of electoral fraud.
Also read: Sao Tome and Principe export their own high-end chocolate
.
