Presidential elections were held in

São Tomé and Príncipe São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is an island country in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two archipelagos around the two main isla ...

on 17 July 2016. Initial results suggested

Evaristo Carvalho Evaristo do Espírito Santo Carvalho (22 October 1941 – 28 May 2022) was a São Toméan politician who served as the fourth president of São Tomé and Príncipe from 2016 to 2021. He was previously the prime minister of the country on two ...

Independent Democratic Action The Independent Democratic Action () is a political party in São Tomé and Príncipe. It was established in 1994 by the then president Miguel Trovoada and is a politically centrist party. It took part in the 29 July 2001 presidential election ...

had been elected in the first round of voting, defeating incumbent President

Manuel Pinto da Costa Manuel Pinto da Costa (born 5 August 1937) is a São Tomé and Príncipe, Santomean economist and politician who served as the first president of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1975 to 1991. He again served as president from 2011 to 2016. Life a ...

; however, the results was subsequently annulled, necessitating a second round between Carvalho and Pinto da Costa, which was held on 7 August. However, Pinto da Costa boycotted the second round after claiming the first round had been fraudulent, meaning Carvalho was elected unopposed.

Electoral system

The

President of São Tomé and Príncipe President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsidente ...

is elected using the

two-round system The two-round system (TRS or 2RS), sometimes called ballotage, top-two runoff, or two-round plurality, is a single-winner electoral system which aims to elect a member who has support of the majority of voters. The two-round system involves one ...

. If no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, a run-off between the top two candidates.

Candidates

There were five candidates, including incumbent President

, two former prime ministers,

from

and Maria das Neves from the MLSTP/PSD, as well as two independents. Carvalho stood as the candidate of the ruling ADI, the party of Prime Minister

Patrice Trovoada Patrice Émery Trovoada (born 18 March 1962) is a São Toméan politician who was the 15th prime minister of São Tomé and Príncipe from November 2022 to 6 January 2025. He previously served as prime minister from February 2008 to June 2008, f ...

. Carvalho was initially declared the winner in the first round with slightly more than 50% of the vote, but Carvalho's score was subsequently adjusted downward to 49.88%, necessitating a second round against President Pinto da Costa. However, Pinto da Costa refused to participate in the second round, alleging fraud and calling for a boycott.Sao Tome votes in runoff boycotted by president
Agence France-Presse, 6 August 2016

Results

References

{{São Tomé and Príncipe elections

Sao Tome SAO or Sao may refer to: Places * Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD * Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso * Serb Autonomous Regions (''Srpska autonomna oblast'', SAO), during the breakup of ...

Presidential Presidential may refer to: * "Presidential" (song), a 2005 song by YoungBloodZ * Presidential Airways (charter), an American charter airline based in Florida * Presidential Airways (scheduled), an American passenger airline active in the 1980s * ...

Presidential elections in São Tomé and Príncipe Single-candidate elections