Movimento de Libertação de São Tomé e Príncipe
| Movimento de Libertação de São Tomé e Príncipe (MLSTP) Movement for the liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe |
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|---|---|
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| founding | 1960 |
| Alignment |
Social Democracy Democratic Socialism |
| Colours) | Red green |
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Assembleia Nacional |
23/55 |
| International connections |
Progressive Alliance Socialist International (associated) |
| Website | [1] |
The Movimento de Libertação de São Tomé e Príncipe (MLSTP) party is a party based on São Tomé and Príncipe .
founding
The group was founded in 1960 by exiles in Gabon under the name CLSTP ("Committee for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe") . The goal was the independence of the overseas province from Portugal . Under the then authoritarian Portuguese government under António de Oliveira Salazar , political activity was strictly prohibited and was largely prevented by the police organization PIDE . Like all independence movements in the Portuguese Empire , the CLSTP was initially Marxist- oriented. On July 12, 1972 , the group was renamed MLSTP.
Unity party
After the " Carnation Revolution " in Portugal on April 25, 1974 , the new leadership in Lisbon decided to give up the overseas territories. In November 1974 negotiations between Portugal and the MLSTP took place in Algiers , which led to the independence of Sao Tome and Principes on July 12, 1975 . The party won all 16 seats in the constituent assembly.
The general secretary of the MLSTP Manuel Pinto da Costa became the country's first president and the MLSTP ruled as a unity party until 1990 . During this time the party cultivated close relations with the Soviet Union , Cuba , the GDR and the People's Republic of China . Because of the growing economic difficulties, the party gradually broke away from close ties to the Eastern Bloc since 1985 . At the end of 1989 a wing of the party campaigned for the introduction of democracy and in August 1990 a new constitution was approved in a referendum . A party congress in October 1990 elected Carlos da Graça as the new general secretary. The party was renamed MLSTP-PSD ("PSD" for "Partido Social Democrática") and has since followed a social democratic course.
After the introduction of democracy
In the first free elections on January 20, 1991 , the MLSTP-PSD achieved 30.5% of the vote and 21 of the 55 parliamentary seats and went into the opposition. In the presidential elections, the independent candidate Miguel Trovoada prevailed as Manuel Pinto da Costa's successor.
In the regional elections in December 1992, the MLSTP-PSD was successful and won in five of the seven provinces. In the next parliamentary elections on October 3, 1994 , the party was again the strongest party with 27 of the 55 seats and was the prime minister with its chairman Carlos da Graça. In March 1995 the party won the elections for the parliament of the island of Príncipe . In the 1996 presidential elections, President Miguel Trovoada won the second ballot against the MLSTP-PSD candidate, ex-President Manuel Pinto da Costa.
A party congress named da Costa as president of the party in May 1998. On November 8, 1998 , the MLSTP-PSD was able to achieve an absolute majority for the first time with 31 mandates. On February 27, 2001 da Costa ran again in presidential elections and lost again, this time to Fradique de Menezes , who received 55.2% of the vote. The parliamentary elections in March 2002 confirmed the party as the largest party, but it only got 24 of the 55 seats and has since been dependent on coalition partners in parliament. The MLSTP-PSD continued to provide the prime ministers, who change in rapid succession, first Maria das Neves , then Damião Vaz d'Almeida and Maria do Carmo Silveira .
In the parliamentary elections on March 26, 2006, the MLSTP-PSD was only the second strongest party behind the Movimento Democrático Força da Mudança / Partido da Convergência Democrática (MDFM / PCD) with 29.5% of the vote and 20 seats and went into opposition. On May 20, 2008, she succeeded in overthrowing Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada of the Acção Democrática Independente (ADI) with a vote of no confidence and, after lengthy negotiations, to form a new government under Prime Minister Joaquim Rafael Branco .
In the parliamentary elections on August 1, 2010, the MLSTP-PSD achieved 32.1% of the vote and 21 seats and remained the second strongest force behind the victorious ADI, which formed a minority government until 2012 , which was led by an MLSTP government under Gabriel Arcanjo in December Costa was replaced. In the 2014 and 2018 elections , the party once again lagged behind the ADI.
Aurelio Martins is currently party leader.
The MLSTP-PSD is a participant of the Progressive Alliance and has been an associated member of the Socialist International since 2012 .