The President of Sao Tome and Principe, at the proposal of the government, has appointed former leader of the Liberation Movement of Sao Tome and Principe (MLSTP) Aurelio Martins as ambassador to Cape Verde, the Presidency of the Republic announced.
According to a post on Facebook, the President of the Republic, Carlos Vila Nova, signed on Friday a presidential decree appointing Aurelio Pires Quaresma Martins in the Service Commission as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe to the Republic from Cape Verde.
Aurelio Pires Quaresma Martins received a degree in International Relations from the Private University of Angola. He was an MP and twice – in 2011 and from 2015 to 2018 – President of the Liberation Movement of Sao Tome and Principe/Social Democratic Party (MLSTP/PSD), leader of the Opposition of Sao Tome.
Aurelio Martins’ last term at the head of the MLSTP/PSD ended in controversy: he was expelled from the party and accused of treason after signing a document with two other party leaders, one of whom is the current Minister of Defense and Administration. Jorge Amado and other deputies from the Independent Democratic Action (the current party in the government) for the resignation of the President of the Supreme Court.
The São Tomé politician was also a candidate in the 2011 and 2021 São Tomé presidential elections, being one of the opponents defeated by the current São Tomé president, Carlos Vila Nova.
From 1991 to 2005, he worked as a journalist for the National Radio of Angola and is a consultant on business strategy and international relations.