The Independent Democratic Union of São Tomé and Príncipe (UDISTP) was a political party formed by São Toméan

São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about apart and about , respectively, off...

 exiles based in Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

 who opposed the socialist

Socialism

Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...

 policies of the single party

Single-party state

A single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a type of party system government in which a single political party forms the government and no other parties are permitted to run candidates for election...

 Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe

Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe

The Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe/Social Democratic Party or Movimento de Libertação de São Tomé e Príncipe/Partido Social Democrata, in Portuguese, is one of the main political parties in São Tomé and Príncipe...

 (MLSTP) government.

In 1986, another São Toméan exiled opposition party, the National Resistance Front of São Tomé and Príncipe

National Resistance Front of São Tomé and Príncipe

The National Resistance Front of São Tomé and Príncipe was a political party founded in 1981 by São Toméan exiles who opposed the socialist policies of the single party Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe government, and sought its overthrow.Based in Gabon under the leadership of...

 (FRNSTP) formed a coalition with the UDISTP after being expelled from Gabon

Gabon

Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...

 and relocating to Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

.

Both groups agreed to seek political changes in São Tomé and Príncipe by non-violent means.