Voters in the Atlantic archipelago of Sao Tome and Principe, regarded as a model of democracy in Africa, headed to the polls on Sunday for a presidential election.
Outgoing President Carlos Vila Nova faces party rival Nito Viegas D'Abreu, a current member of parliament backed by former prime minister Patrice Trovoada, along with two independent candidates.
Polling official Wernick Capita told AFP the first few hours had been "calm" after polling stations opened at 7:00 am (0700 GMT) "because people prefer to vote in the afternoon".
Olivia Fatima, who cast her vote in Sao Tome city, said the crucial point of the election was "to get people out of poverty".
A former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, the island nation of 200,000 inhabitants has a history marked by attempted coups including one in 2022 that was promptly thwarted by the military.
The scattering of islands off the coast of western equatorial Africa is now viewed as a model of African parliamentary democracy.
The president has a largely ceremonial role, responsible for representation and the promulgation of laws, while most executive powers lie with the prime minister.
Vila Nova, 66, elected president in 2021 with his Independent Democratic Action (ADI) party's support, is casting himself as the guarantor of the "political stability of the country".
He has faced criticism for dismissing former prime minister Trovoada in January 2025, a move ruled one year later to be contrary to the constitution.
Trovoada, now head of the ADI and vying to regain the prime minister post in legislative polls this coming September, has thrown his support behind Vila Nova's rival Viegas D'Abreu.
Viegas D'Abreu, the 43-year-old leader of the ADI group in parliament, is promoting himself as a representative of those born after the country's independence in 1975.
If no candidate gains more than 50 percent of the vote on Sunday, there will be a second-round run-off on August 9.
On the international stage, Sao Tome and Principe is a partner of the European Union and of former colonial power Portugal, whose slave and sugar trade it once served.
It also has partnerships with China and Russia, signing a military pact with the latter in 2024.
The archipelago derives most of its revenue from agriculture, particularly the production of cocoa and coffee, as well as vanilla and pepper.
Its unique landscapes also make it a prime tourist destination, especially for the ultra-wealthy.
Major international oil firms including TotalEnergies have acquired licences to explore for oil and gas reserves off the archipelago's shores.
Yet the island nation remains heavily dependent on international aid, with a large majority of its population living below the poverty line.
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