SAO TOME PRESIDENT NOMINATES PRIME MINISTER AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L LIBREVILLE 000261 SIPDIS SIPDIS LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS KINSHASA PASS BRAZZAVILLE E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/2016 TAGS: PGOV GB SUBJECT: SAO TOME PRESIDENT NOMINATES PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET REF: LIBREVILLE 0216. Classified By: POLITICAL OFFICER GLENN FEDZER FOR REASON 1.4 (B) ¶1. (U) President Fradique Menezes has appointed Tome da Vera Cruz as Sao Tome's new Prime Minister. He and other members of the cabinet are scheduled to be sworn in 3 PM April 21. Other nominations include: Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and Finance--Mario dos Santos Tebus Torres Minister of Public Works--Delfim Santiago das Neves Minister of Justice--Justino Tavares da Veiga Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation--Carlos Gustavo dos Anjos Minister of Economy--Maria Cristina Dias Minister of State Government Reform and Territorial Affairs--Armindo Aguiar Minister of Defense--Oscar Aguiar Sacremento e Sousa Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment--Manuel de Deus Lima Minister of Work, Solidarity, Women's Affairs, and Family--Maria de Cristo Hilario da Costa Minister of Education, Culture, and Sports--Maria de Fatima Leite de Sousa Almeida Minster of Health--Arlindo D'Assuncao Vicente de Carvalho. ¶2. (C) Comment: The stability of the new government is far from assured. The MDFM/PCD coalition from which these ministers have been selected control only 23 of the 55 seats in the National Assembly, and neither the ADI with 11 seats, nor the MLSTP, with 20, have agreed to support the new government and its agenda. President Menezes risks political paralysis and/or a constitutional crisis by moving forward with a minority government (reftel). The constitution forbids the dissolution of the National Assembly within 12 months of an election...and declares that a government falls if it fails to get Assembly approval for its legislative program. ¶3. (U) Post will send further comments/bio notes septel. WALKLEY