Independent Democratic Action

The Independent Democratic Action (Portuguese: Acção Democrática Independente) is a political party in São Tomé and Príncipe. It was established in 1994 by the then president Miguel Trovoada and is a politically centrist party.

AbbreviationADI

LeaderPatrice Trovoada

Founded1994

IdeologyLiberalism
Christian democracy

Quick facts Abbreviation, Leader ...

Independent Democratic Action Acção Democrática Independente
Abbreviation	ADI
Leader	Patrice Trovoada
Founded	1994
Ideology	Liberalism Christian democracy
Political position	Centre to centre-right[1]
International affiliation	Centrist Democrat International
National Assembly	30 / 55
Party flag
Website
www.adidigital.com[dead link]
Politics of São Tomé and Príncipe Political parties Elections

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It took part in the 29 July 2001 presidential elections, in which its candidate, Fradique de Menezes, won 55.2% of the vote and was elected president. After the elections Fradique de Menezes joined a new party – the Force for Change Democratic Movement-Liberal Party. In the legislative election held on 3 March 2002, the Independent Democratic Action was the main party in the Uê Kédadji alliance, that won 16.2% of the popular vote and 8 out of 55 seats. It left this alliance and won in the 2006 election 11 out of 55 seats. In the July 2006 presidential election, its leader Patrice Trovoada ran as the only major opposition candidate, but he was defeated by Menezes.

Trovoada became Prime Minister in February 2008, but was defeated in a May 2008 vote of confidence proposed by the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe/Social Democratic Party (MLSTP/PSD), and in June Menezes asked the MLSTP/PSD to form a new government.^[2] The ADI denounced Menezes' designation of the MLSTP/PSD to form a government as unconstitutional, arguing that it was too late in the parliamentary term to do so, and it took the matter to the Supreme Tribunal of Justice.^[3]

Evaristo Carvalho has been the President of São Tomé and Príncipe from 2016 to 2021, after defeating the incumbent President Manuel Pinto da Costa in the 2016 elections. President Carvalho was also Vice president of the ruling Independent Democratic Action party (ADI). Patrice Trovoada was Prime Minister from 2014 to 2018 as the leader of Independent Democratic Action party (ADI).^[4]

On 6 January 2025, president Carlos Vila Nova dismissed Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada and his government, citing Trovoada's prolonged absences and his government's failure to solve multiple issues.^[5] Trovoada responded calling his dismissal "illegal" and "unconstitutional".^[6] Vila Nova then selected then Minister of Justice, Ilza Amado Vaz, as prime minister. Vaz then resigned, stating in a letter that her continued leadership “would not contribute to the success of public policies and the harmonious and peaceful development.” Vila Nova thereafter picked Américo Ramos, who was not endorsed for the prime ministerial role by the ADI, being criticized for ignoring the majority of the National Assembly.^[7]

Since the collapse of Trovoada's government, the ADI has been mired in a leadership crisis, split between Trovoada’s faction and a faction led current Prime Minister Américo Ramos backed by Carlos Vila Nova.^[8] The Supreme Court of Justice declared that the president's firing of the cabinet was unconstitutional and outside the head of state's powers but it wouldn't have any retroactive effect rendering the decision meaningless. The majority of the parliament made up of ADI adopted a resolution to keep Ramos in power ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections.^[8]