At Stake in this Election:  

• All 55 seats of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe 

• Local Assembly elections are occurring concurrently.  

Government Structure: 

• Chief of State: President Carlos Manuel Vila NOVA (since 2 October 2021)  

• Head of Government: Prime Minister Américo d'Oliveira DOS RAMOS (since 12 January 2025)  

• Assembly: unicameral National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional) with 55-seats   

Electoral System: 

• The president is elected by majority vote in up to two rounds. Successful candidates serve a five-year term and cannot serve more than two terms consecutively.  

• The Prime Minister is appointed by the President upon consultation with the parties represented in the National Assembly. The Prime Minister is generally the leader of the party or coalition holding a majority of seats in parliament.  

• All 55 members of the National Assembly are directly elected via a proportional list system. Votes are allotted using the D’Hondt Method  

Last Election:  

The last National Assembly elections were held in September 2022. Independent Democratic Action (IDA) won 30 seats, followed by the Socialist Democratic Party (MLSTP) with 18 seats. Voter turnout was 66%. 

New/Unique in this Election: 

In February 2026, Parliament approved a law to transition the country to a system of automatic voter registration. The ‘Automatic National Electoral Registration’ was used for the first time in the July presidential races, making this race the second ever test of the new system. 

Information for Voters: 

General voter information has been disseminated in Portuguese via the National Election Commission’s Facebook Page. Additional information on preliminary results and the vote allocation system is available via a national Elections Portal. 

Key Deadlines: 

• Candidate filing deadline: August 13, 2026 (45 days before elections) 

• Voter registration deadline: N/A. Registration is permanent and continuous. 

Main Parties in this Election:       

• Independent Democratic Action (ADI)
  • Seats won in the last election: 30 of 55
• Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe (MLSTP)
  • Seats won in the last election: 18 of 55
• Basta Movement
  • Seats won in the last election: 2 of 55
• Coalition: Movement of Independent Citizens, comprising the Socialist Party and National Unity Party (MCI-PS/PUN)
  • Seats won in the last election by the Socialist Party (MCI): 5 of 55
• Democratic Convergence Party (PCD)
  • Seats won in the last election: 0 of 55
• Democratic Movement Force for Change (MDFM)
  • Seats won in the last election: 0 of 55
• Nossa Terra Party
  • Seats won in the last election: 0 of 55

Country Context:  

• Population: 240,254 (2025 est.)   

• Registered Voters: 142,296 (2026)  

• V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index Score:  0.673 (2024)  

• V-Dem Regimes of the World Classification: Electoral Democracy (2024)  

• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 0.637, Medium, Rank 141 (2023)  

Gender Data:  

• Female Population: 120,885 (2025 est.)  

• CEDAW Status: Signed 31 October 1995, Ratified 3 June 2003  

• Gender Quota: No  

• Female Candidates in this election: No  

• Number of Female Legislators (pre-election): 8 out of 55 (14.6%)  

• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: n/a  

Disability Data:  

• CRPD Status: Ascended 5 November 2015  

• Projected population with a disability: 38,441 (2025 est.)