São Tomé and Príncipe : Ousted Prime Minister Takes Legal Action [Interview]

In an exclusive interview, the ousted Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe, Patrice Trovoada, reacts to President Carlos Vila Nova’s decision to end his term of office. He described the decision as ‘illegal’ and ‘unconstitutional’. In response to this political crisis, Trovoada promises to use all available legal channels to defend the Constitution and his government.

How do you analyze the political situation in your country?

The President of the Republic decided to dismiss the Prime Minister without consulting the Council of State and without justifying to the Council of State the existence of a dysfunction in democratic institutions that would warrant the resignation of the government. That’s why we consider this decision completely illegal and unconstitutional. We have asked the constitutional judges at the tribunal to rule on this, and I hope they will do so in the coming days or even hours, given the urgency of the situation.

Do you acknowledge the President’s arguments when he speaks of poor management, repeated absences, and worsening of the economic crisis?

That’s rhetorical narrative from the opposition. It’s not his role to present such arguments unless he provides facts. Saying I travel is somewhat archaic. When I came into office, the country had an inflation rate of 25.6%, and now we’re at just under 11%. I’m leading one of the rare African countries where we pay 14 salaries to civil servants—they get an extra salary during holidays and another at Christmas, and salaries are paid on time. As I said, based on economic indicators, we’ve moved into the middle-income category. So, I don’t understand where the problems are.

Aren’t you creating a crisis in your country?

In our country, we are elected, so I have a base of popular legitimacy, right? And the Constitution. This gentleman, the President of the Republic, has violated the Constitution and will have to bear the political cost of that. As for me, given my responsibilities and the expectations of the population, I must ensure that this situation doesn’t make people pay an even higher price when all they want is development, well-being, security, health, and education.