Politics

São Tomé’s highest court disbands parties that got low votes in legislative elections

Published

2 years ago

October 6, 2022

The Constitutional Court of São Tomé and Príncipe, which is the highest court in the country, has disbanded political parties which recorded the lowest votes in the legislative elections held on September 25.

In a ruling on Thursday, the court said the parties had failed to reach the minimum 0.5% of votes required by law and therefore should be disbanded as they did not have the spread and acceptance.

The order of the court numbered 63/2022, emphasized that “it is incumbent upon the Constitutional Court to automatically extinguish political parties that have not reached 0.5 of the votes cast from the universe of voters.:

“It is noted that the Social Democratic Movement, Green Party/São Tomé and Príncipe, the Party of All Santomans, the Union Movement for the Broad Development of São Tomé and Príncipe, and the Movement for Progress – New Party, have not obtained the minimum 0.5 percent of votes cast required to remain as political parties.

The São Toméan electoral law establishes that any extinct party disbanded by the Constitutional Court “cannot appear, in the following four years, with the same denomination, acronym and statutes.

“And that under these conditions, the No 1 of article 166 of the electoral law No 06/2021, imposes the automatic extinction of the parties in question by the Constitutional Court without the need for any process,” the order reads.

According to official data released by the Court, one the parties, the MSD/PVSTP led by Elsa Garrido, who ran for the second time and was the only woman candidate for prime minister, got only 275 votes representing 0.34%.

“The PTOS headed by Victor Rosário got 195 (0.24%), while the newly created MUDA-STP, led by Tomé Vera Cruz, got 393 votes (0.49%) and the New Party, led by, Abílio Espírito Santo, got 355 votes (0.44%),” it said.

Click to comment

Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

3 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In a diplomatic spat over their imprisonment, France and Morocco announced Thursday that four French nationals detained in Burkina Faso for a year had been freed after mediation from Morocco.

They were spies, according to a prior statement made by the director of France’s foreign intelligence organisation, the DGSE.

A request for comment was not answered by the DGSE or a representative of the French military, which is in charge of the agency.

Since December 2023, they have been held in Ouagadougou.

President Emmanuel Macron hailed King Mohammed of Morocco on Wednesday for his intervention, “which made possible the liberation of our four countrymen who had been held in Burkina Faso for a year,” according to a statement from the French administration.

King Mohammed and President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso were also commended by Morocco’s foreign ministry, which stated that “this humanitarian act” was made possible by their positive bilateral ties.

In October, France made peace with Morocco, one of its former protectorates, after three years of hostilities between Paris and Rabat stoked by immigration concerns and the disputed Western Sahara region.

Morocco offers Burkina Faso and other military-ruled Sahel republics Atlantic trade.

However, France’s relations with former West and Central African colonies, such as Burkina Faso, remain difficult. In Ouagadougou, French troops and diplomats were ejected, the defence attache and ambassador were asked to depart, and certain French media were suspended.

The military junta that took control in 2022 in Burkina Faso has been criticized by international rights groups for cracking down on free expression and harassing dissidents to handle a security crisis precipitated by Al Qaeda and Islamic State extremists.

Politics

Ghana: President-elect Mahama appoints anti-corruption team

Published

3 days ago

December 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by his transition team on Wednesday, Ghana’s President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, has designated an anti-corruption committee to investigate allegations of wrongdoing.

When he takes office next month, Mahama, the leading opposition candidate in the presidential election held on December 7 and who received almost 56% of the vote, has pledged to reclaim the proceeds of corruption and hold those responsible for it accountable.

In anticipation, an anti-graft squad has been established. The parliament’s Committee on Assurances, which has previously raised suspicions of governmental corruption, is chaired by MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah.

An investigative journalist, a private attorney, a former auditor general, and a former police officer with experience in high-profile robbery cases make up the other three members.

After looking into alleged financial irregularities that took place during the previous administration, Daniel Dumelovo, the former auditor general, was fired.

Recovering lost assets and fighting corruption were two of Mahama’s main campaign pledges.

“He intends to hit the ground running on these commitments,” the statement said.

Eight years after leaving office, former President Mahama is back to head the West African country. Despite not being personally contaminated, he faced criticism during his 2012–2016 administration due to claims of political corruption.