At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Sao Tome and Principe

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Fradique DE MENEZES
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Joaquim Rafael BRANCO
• Assembly: Sao Tome and Principe has a unicameral National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional) with 55 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 5-year term.
• The Prime Minister is elected by parliament.
• In the National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional) 55 members are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms.***

*** There are 7 multi-member constituencies.

Main Candidates in the Second Round of the Presidential race:

• Evaristo do Espírito Santo CARVALHO
  • Party: Independent Democratic Action / Acção Democrática Independente (ADI)
• Manuel Pinto DA COSTA
  • Party: Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe/Social Democratic Party / Movimento de Libertação de São Tomé e Príncipe/Partido Social Democrata (MLSTP/PSD)

Main Candidates in the First Round of the Presidential race:

• Evaristo do Espírito Santo CARVALHO
  • Party: Independent Democratic Action / Acção Democrática Independente (ADI)
• Manuel Pinto DA COSTA
  • Party: Independent
• Maria das NEVES
  • Independent(s): N/A
• Elsa PINTO
  • Independent(s): N/A
• Aurélio Pires Quaresma MARTINS
  • Party: Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe/Social Democratic Party / Movimento de Libertação de São Tomé e Príncipe/Partido Social Democrata (MLSTP/PSD)

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 174,646 (2011)
• Registered Voters: 92,639 (July 2011)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 87,755 (2011)

·         Is São Tomé a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (31 October 1995)

·         Has São Tomé ratified CEDAW: Yes (3 June 2003)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 10 (following the 2010 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 143 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is São Tomé and Príncipe a signatory to CRPD: N/A

·         Has São Tomé and Príncipe ratified CRPD: Yes, accession (5 November 2015)

·         Population with a disability: 26,196 (est.)