Comrades, Clients and Cousins: Colonialism, Socialism and Democratization in São Tomé and Príncipe

CONTENTS
LIST OF PLATES AND FIGURES
ABBREVIATIONS
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
The objective
Caribbean contours in an African environment
Historic background
The theoretical and political context
Relevant concepts
Local patterns of multiparty politics
The chapters
Research methods and sources
INDEX
CHAPTER ONE FORMATION AND RECOLONIZATION OF AN AFRICAN CREOLE SOCIETY
Introduction
The formation of the creole society
Settlement and slavery
The sugar plantations
External threat and economic decline
The Catholic mission
Institutional and political conflicts
Slave revolts and escape
The creolization process
The second colonization
The rise and fall of cocoa
From slave to serviçal
The recolonization of the church
The indentured labour system
External and internal responses to the labour system
The forros’ aversion to field labour
The stratification system
Conclusions
CHAPTER TWO FROM THE ORIGINS OF FORRO NATIONALISM TO INDEPENDENCE
Introduction
Political activities in the early 20th century
The Massacre of February 1953
The causes of the massacre and the number of victims
São Tomé’s few nationalists: exiled, dispersed and fragmented
The decolonization process
Conclusions
CHAPTER THREE THE SOCIALIST ONE-PARTY REGIME
Introduction
The construction of the socialist state
The establishment of the security apparatus
The administrative system and the party structure
Social and education policies
The foreign policy options
The constitutional framework
The competition for power
Alleged coups and invasion threats
The census riots and Trovoada’s imprisonment
Pinto da Costa’s autocracy
The emergence of the exile opposition
The performance of the state-owned economy
The plantation economy
The structure of the state-owned plantations
The failed diversification of the economy
The party’s ideological trajectory
Conclusions
CHAPTER FOUR POLITICAL TRANSITION AND ECONOMIC REFORM
Introduction
Initial political change
Political instability and invasion
The economic liberalization
Corruption scandals
The renovation of the state party
The transition process
The emergence of political parties
The democratic elections
Cocoa rehabilitation under structural adjustment
Conclusion
CHAPTER FIVE GOVERNANCE, CONFLICT AND PUBLIC PROPERTY UNDER THE DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM
Introduction
End of a tactical alliance
Continuous conflict and final break
The MLSTP returns to power
The military coup
The background
The course of the events
The aftermath of the coup
Continuous political instability
The initial anti-corruption drive
Increasing transparency and corruption scandals
The importance of external funds
The routine of corruption
The impunity of corruption
Factors in favour of corruption
Conclusions
CHAPTER SIX STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT AND ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE UNDER DEMOCRATIC RULE
Introduction
The difficult relationship with the Bretton Woods institutions
Overambitious goals and poor performance
Administrative reform
The financial sector reform
The privatization of agriculture
Manufacture and services
The emergence of the oil sector
Controversial oil licensing rounds
Unmanageable debts and inefficient foreign assistance
Conclusions
CHAPTER SEVEN POLITICAL PLURALISM AND COMPETITIVE ELECTIONS
Introduction
The local elections of December 1992
The early legislative elections of October 1994
PCD pôs o país de pé (PCD has put the country on its feet)
Acreditar em S. Tomé e Príncipe (Believing in São Tomé and Príncipe)
The local patron as candidate
Renovar a mudança (Renew the change)
O partido que fala a verdade (The party that tells the truth)
Voto de confiança (Vote of confidence)
Election results
Legislative elections in 1998 and 2002
Multipartyism: characteristics and conditions
Conclusions
CHAPTER EIGHT PARTY TRAJECTORIES AND PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
Introduction
The political parties: MLSTP/PSD
The parties claiming political change: PCD-GR and ADI
The theree small parties: CODO, FDC and AP(PTS)
The 1996 presidential elections: the prelude
The first round
The voting and the aftermath
The final ballot
The 2001 presidential elections
Conclusions
CHAPTER NINE LOCAL DIMENSIONS OF POLITICS: KINSHIP, RUMOURS AND PAMPHLETS
Introduction
The impact of kinship
Kinship and conjugal unions types
The current customary union
The visiting union
Patterns of polygyny
Women and mothers
Family life in an urban neighbourhood
Kinship and politics
Rumours and anonymous pamphlets
The characteristics of rumours
Rumours and Rádio BB
Anonymous pamphlets
Conclusions
CONCLUSIONS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDIX ONE PRESIDENTS AND GOVERNMENT MINISTERS OF SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE 1975–2005
APPENDIX TWO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES OF SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE’S LIBERATION MOVEMENTS AND MAIN POLITICAL PARTIES 1960–2002
APPENDIX THREE ELECTION RESULTS
APPENDIX FOUR BASIC ECONOMIC DATA 1988–2004