Presidential elections were held in São Tomé and Príncipe

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...

 on 30 June 1996. The election was contested by four candidates; incumbent President Miguel Trovoada

Miguel Trovoada

Miguel dos Anjos da Cunha Lisboa Trovoada was Prime Minister and President of São Tomé and Príncipe. Currently he is the Executive Secretary of the Gulf of Guinea Commission.-Background:...

, former President Manuel Pinto da Costa

Manuel Pinto da Costa

Manuel Pinto da Costa is a Santoméan economist and politician who served as the first President of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1975 to 1991. He was again elected as President in August 2011 and took office on 3 September 2011....

, Alda Bandeira

Alda Bandeira

Alda Bandeira Tavares Vaz da Conceição is a politician in São Tomé and Príncipe.Bandeira was a founder of the Democratic Convergence Party-Reflection Group, which won legislative elections in 1991. She served as foreign minister from 1991 until 1993. In 1996 she ran for president of the country,...

, a former Foreign Minister, and former Prime Minister Carlos da Graça

Carlos da Graça

Carlos Alberto Monteiro Dias da Graça is a former prime minister of São Tomé and Príncipe. He held the post from 25 October 1994 to 15 August 1995. A short lived military coup d'état temporarily deposed the elected government from 15 August 1995 to 21 August 1995. Civilian rule was restored on 21...

. No candidate won a majority of votes in the first round, in which voter turnout in the first round was 77.3%, resulting in a second round being held on 21 July between the two leading candidates - Trovoada and da Costa. Trovoada won the election with 52.7% of the vote, based on a 78.7% turnout.

Results

Candidate	Party	First round		Second round
		Votes	%	Votes	%
Miguel Trovoada Miguel Trovoada Miguel dos Anjos da Cunha Lisboa Trovoada was Prime Minister and President of São Tomé and Príncipe. Currently he is the Executive Secretary of the Gulf of Guinea Commission.-Background:...	Independent Democratic Action Independent Democratic Action The Independent Democratic Action is a political party in São Tomé and Príncipe. It was established in 1991 and is a politically centrist party....	15,344	41.4	19,887	52.7
Manuel Pinto da Costa Manuel Pinto da Costa Manuel Pinto da Costa is a Santoméan economist and politician who served as the first President of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1975 to 1991. He was again elected as President in August 2011 and took office on 3 September 2011....	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...	13,627	37.7	17,820	47.3
Alda Bandeira Alda Bandeira Alda Bandeira Tavares Vaz da Conceição is a politician in São Tomé and Príncipe.Bandeira was a founder of the Democratic Convergence Party-Reflection Group, which won legislative elections in 1991. She served as foreign minister from 1991 until 1993. In 1996 she ran for president of the country,...	Democratic Convergence Party-Reflection Group Democratic Convergence Party-Reflection Group The Democratic Convergence Party-Reflection Group is a political party in São Tomé and Príncipe. It was founded on 4 November 1990 by MLSTP dissidents, independents, and young professionals. Leonel Mário d'Alva is the current party leader....	5,970	16.1
Carlos da Graça Carlos da Graça Carlos Alberto Monteiro Dias da Graça is a former prime minister of São Tomé and Príncipe. He held the post from 25 October 1994 to 15 August 1995. A short lived military coup d'état temporarily deposed the elected government from 15 August 1995 to 21 August 1995. Civilian rule was restored on 21...	Independent	1,973	5.3
Armindo Tomba	Independent	163	0.5
Invalid/blank votes		1,764
1,317
Total		38,841	100	39,024	100

Aftermath

Despite being declared generally free and fair by international and domestic observers, da Costa, who had initially acknowledged Trovoada's victory, contested the results of the election, claiming that irregularities had occurred in the registration process. The National Electoral Commission acknowledged that there were minor discrepancies in the registration process and in voter rolls but determined that these were insufficient to call the results into question.

In early August the Supreme Court declared that it was unable to adjudicate on the appeal made by da Costa, and recommended that the government seek international legal arbitration. However, on 20 August da Costa withdrew his challenge and Trovoada was confirmed as president.