São Tomé and Príncipe political parties seek constitutional reform

As São Tomé and Príncipe approaches legislative, local, and regional elections on September 27, political leaders have reached a consensus on the need for constitutional revision. During a debate on RSTP, leaders from five of the seven competing parties agreed that the current constitution, last revised in 2003, no longer meets the country's challenges.

Proposed reforms include unifying the duration of political mandates and reducing the number of parliamentary seats from 55 to between 25 and 35. There is also support for extending local government mandates from three years to four or five years to align with national offices. While consensus exists on these points, parties have rejected a shift to a presidential system.

Additionally, the upcoming elections show a significant increase in female political participation. Following the 2022 parity law, which mandates a minimum of 40% representation for both men and women on candidate lists, women now make up 41% of the 384 legislative candidates. This marks an increase from the 34% recorded in previous parliamentary elections.