Independent Democratic Action

The Independent Democratic Action (Template:Langx) 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.

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.<ref name=Lider>"Líder da oposição em São Tomé Príncipe designado primeiro-ministro", Panapress, June 12, 2008 Template:In lang.</ref> 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.<ref>"Partido de PM destituído contra nomeação de novo Governo são-tomense", Panapress, June 16, 2008 Template:In lang.</ref>

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).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Political Bureau

The party's political bureau as of May 25, 2019, is composed of:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• President: Agostinho Fernandes
• Vice Presidents: Álvaro Santiago and Ekeneide dos Santos
• Vice President of the Women's Section (MMA): Arlete Zeferino
• Parliamentary group leader: Abnildo do Nascimento d'Oliveira

Election results

Presidential elections

Year	Candidate	1er			2nd
		Voice	%	Rang	Voice	%	Rang
1996	Miguel Trovoada	15,334	41,40	1er	35,112	52,70	1er
2001	Fradique de Menezes	25,896	55,18	1er	-
2006	Patrice Trovoada	22,339	38,80	2e	-
2011	Evaristo Carvalho	13,125	21,79	2e	31,287	47,12	2nd
2016	Evaristo Carvalho	34,522	49,88	1er	42,058	100	1er
2021	Carlos Vila Nova	32,022	39,47	1er	45,481	57,54	1er

Legislative elections

Since 1994, the Independent Democratic Action party has had a parliamentary group.

Year	Results		Seats	Rang	Government
	Year	%
1994	6,660	26,27	Template:Composition bar	2e
1998	8,222	28,30	Template:Composition bar	2e
2002	6,398	16,20	Template:Composition bar	3e	Opposition (coalition Uê Kédadji)
2006	10,678	20,50	Template:Composition bar	3e	Opposition Government majority Opposition
2010	29,588	43,13	Template:Composition bar	1er	Government majority Opposition
2014	35,267	52,58	Template:Composition bar	1er	Government majority
2018	32,805	41,81	Template:Composition bar	1er	Opposition
2022	36,549	46,81	Template:Composition bar	1er	Government majority