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Post Independence Instability - 1975-1995

São Tomé and Príncipe formally achieved its independence from Portugal on July 12, 1975, and Manuel Pinto da Costa of the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe (Movimento Libertacao de São Tomé e Príncipe – MLSTP) assumed the presidency. President Manuel Pinto da Costa appointed Miguel Anjos da Cunha Lisboa Trovoada as prime minister on July 12, 1975. President Manuel Pinto da Costa nationalized the Portuguese-owned cocoa plantations in September 1975. In March 1978, the government suppressed an attempted mercenary invasion led by former Minister of Social Affairs Carlos da Graça, one of the co-founders of the MLSTP who had been exiled from the country in 1977.

The governments of Angola and Guinea-Bissau deployed some 1,500 troops in support of the government in March 1978. The Organization of African Unity (OAU) sent a fact-finding mission to investigate the attempted mercenary invasion of São Tomé and Príncipe. On July 18, 1978, the OAU Council of Ministers condemned the attempted mercenary invasion in São Tomé and Príncipe. President Manuel Pinto da Costa dismissed Prime Minister Miguel Trovoada and abolished the office of prime minister on April 9, 1979. The Democratic Opposition Coalition (Coligacao Democratica da Oposicao – CODO) was established in opposition to the government by the Independent Democratic Union of São Tomé and Príncipe (Uniao Democratica Independente de São Tomé e Príncipe – UDISTP) and the São Tomé and Príncipe National Resistence Front (Frente da Resistencia Nacional de São Tomé e Príncipe – FRNSTP) in Lisbon, Portugal on March 19, 1986.

Carlos da Graça resigned as head of the FRNSTP on May n, 1986. President Manuel Pinto da Costa re-established the office of prime minister and appointed Celestino Rocha da Costa as prime minister on January 8, 1988. The government suppressed a rebellion by members of the FRNSTP on February 25-March 8, 1988, resulting in the deaths of three rebels. Legislative elections were held on January 20, 1991, and the Democratic Convergence Party (Partido de Convergencia Democratica – PCD) won 33 out of 55 seats in the National Assembly. The Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe – Social Democratic Party (Movimento Libertacao de São Tomé e Príncipe – Partido Social Democrata – MLSTP-PSD) won 21 seats in the National Assembly. Prime Minister Rocha da Costa resigned on January 25, 1991, and Daniel Lima dos Santos Daio of the PCD formed a government as prime minister on February 8, 1991. Former Prime Minister Miguel Trovoada was elected president with 100 percent of the vote on March 3, 1991, and he was inaugurated as president on April 3, 1991. Angolan troops, which had been deployed in support of the government since March 1978, were withdrawn from the country in 1991.

Prime Minister Daniel Daio was dismissed on April 22, 1992, and Norberto Jose d’Alva Costa Alegre was appointed as prime minister on April 23, 1992. President Miguel Trovoada dismissed the government of Prime Minister Costa Alegre, and appointed Evaristo do Espirito Santo Carvalho as prime minister on July 2, 1994. President Miguel Trovoada dissolved the National Assembly on July 10, 1994. Legislative elections were held on October 2, 1994, and the MLSTP-PSD won 27 out of 55 seats in the National Assembly. The PCD won 14 seats in the National Assembly. President Miguel Trovoada appointed Carlos da Graça of the MLSTP-PSD as prime minister on October 25, 1994.