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STP News: Party talks on unity govt continue without result

Sao Tome, June 9 (Lusa) - Talks continued over the weekend between the main political forces in Sao Tome and Principe over the formation of a national unity government to end weeks of uncertainty in the islands, party sources and officials said.

Justino Veiga, spokesman to talks between Sao Tome’s four main political forces, said Saturday evening that after three days of negotiations some remaining obstacles to an accord “had been overcome”. There is already “understanding of all parties on the constitution of a consensus government,” he added.

But the government official said he could not predict when the composition of Sao Tome’s consensus cabinet would be made public. Talks between the islands’ main parties will continue in a bid to establish two premises, said Veiga. Firstly, on the need to create a unity executive and secondly, on whether the new government would have a stabilizing effect.

Meanwhile, party sources told Lusa some major divergences still exist between Sao Tome’s principal parliamentary forces, the MDFM, the MLSTP, the ADI and the PCD.

In the four-way negotiations, the MDFM, allied to President Fradique de Menezes, advocates the creation of a new government to serve until scheduled polls in 2010, sources said.

The main MLSTP opposition and PCD, meanwhile, want a new government with a six-month mandate followed by early elections next year.

But the ADI, led by Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada, whose three-month coalition cabinet collapsed May 20 after a no-confidence vote, is insisting on the dissolution of parliament and early polls within three months.

ADI chief Patrice Trovoada was absent from the weekend party talks, held in Sao Tome’s presidential palace and led by President de Menezes, as he was on a private visit to Dubai until Monday.