Voters in Sao Tome and Principe cast ballots
07/17/2011
Poverty and instability has been a constant feature of many African nations over the past few decades, whether they be large countries such as Nigeria and Zimbabwe, or tiny ones such as Sao Tome and Principe.
Today, voters in the latter, a west African archipelago that is the continent’s second-smallest nation, cast ballots for their next president.
Perhaps unfortunately, the favorite is former strongman Manuel Pinto da Costa, who took the reins of power after playing a leading role to gain independence from Portugal in 1975, ruling a communist one-party state that lasted until 1990, according to Agence France-Presse.
“I am convinced that this Sunday, I will have a clear victory,” with a first-round win, he told supporters Friday.
