Comrades, Clients and Cousins: Colonialism, Socialism and Democratization in São Tomé and PríncipeColonized in the late 15th century, São Tomé and Príncipe were ruled by Portugal for 500 years, one of the longest periods of European domination in colonial history. In fact, during this period the Portuguese colonized the islands twice. Both colonizations were driven by the production of tropical cash crops; however, they occurred under rather different circumstances. Its long history as a plantation colony has made this African archipelago in many aspects more akin to the small Caribbean states. Since its decolonization in 1975 the small and impoverished country has experienced two fundamental changes to its political and economic system in a short period of 15 years. After embracing socialism and a centralized economy at independence, in 1990 the country introduced liberal democracy and a free-market economy. This case study analyses the course of political and economic changes in postcolonial São Tomé and Príncipe. The central issue of the book is to which extent institutional changes based on external models altered local patterns of political culture and of doing politics. In addition, it examines the outcome of the consecutive economic policies and development approaches patterned on theses models. This second edition has been completely revised and updated for the period of 1998-2005, including the recent developments in the country's emerging oil sector. |
Contents
Chapter | 18 |
Chapter | 21 |
From the Origins of Forro Nationalism to Independence | 59 |
Copyright | |
12 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
accused African agriculture Alda Bandeira Angolan António Armindo Vaz Armindo Vaz d'Almeida Bragança campaign candidates Cantagalo Carlos Graça Carvalho Ceita cent CLSTP cocoa CODO colonial corruption Costa Alegre country's coup creole culture Daniel Daio declared defence democracy democratic deputies Dias economic elections ERHC Espírito Santo estates Eyzaguirre February finance foreign former forros Fradique de Menezes Francisco Fortunato Pires funds Gorgulho Graça Espírito Santo História Ibidem independence island João José July labour leader Leonel d'Alva Libreville Lisbon Manuel Pinto Miguel Trovoada military million MLSTP MLSTP/PSD National Assembly Neto Neves Notícias official one-party organization party PCD-GR Pinto da Costa plantation Political Bureau Portugal Portuguese President Trovoada presidential prime minister programme Rafael Branco regime roças rumours Santomean secretary-general sector September Silva slaves social Sousa tion Tomé and Príncipe Tomé e Príncipe Tomé's Vaz d'Almeida voters votes workers World Bank