In São Tomé e Príncipe President Fradique de Menezes has withdrawn the four members of his Movimento Democrático das Forças da Mudança-Partido Liberal (MDFM-PL) party from the government. Since June 2008 there had been a three-party coalition, comprising the MDFM-PL, the Movimento de Libertação de São Tomé e Príncipe/Partido Social Democrata (MLSTP) and the Partido de Convergência Democrática-Grupa de Reflexão (PCD), with Rafael Branco of the MLSTP as prime minister.

The crisis was caused by the MLSTP’s decision to refer President de Menezes’ recent election as the head of the MDFM-PL party to the country’s Constitutional Tribunal. Previously, he had been the honorary chair of the party, which was run by a committee. Now, he has placed himself formally at the head of the party and the MLSTP have challenged the constitutionality of this decision.

The president’s decision has also caused problems within the MDFM-PL party. Two of the party’s four ministers were willing initially to remain in the government. However, they have since resigned from the party and from the government.

The new government has two fewer ministers and now comprises 6 MLSTP ministers and 5 PCD ministers. The government continues to have a comfortable majority in parliament. Parliamentary elections are due in March.

The withdrawal of the MDFM-PL ministers means that there is now a period of cohabitation in this most cohabitation-prone of countries. This is only the third example where a period of cohabitation has begun outside an election (i.e. where it hasn’t been the result of an election). The other two examples are Romania 2007 and São Tomé in 2004 again when President de Menezes withdrew the parties’ ministers from the government.