The Prime Minister of Sao Tome defended on Monday the extension of the mandate of the Attorney General of the Republic, contested by the trade union and the Bar Association, praising the unanimity of the deputies in approving the law.
“I think we should be congratulated on the fact that the reform package was adopted unanimously by the deputies, and this is the main thing. […] I am convinced that this is not the first time that, during a reform process, the teams involved in the reform are given a little more time to start implementing it, so I see this in a completely peaceful way,” Patrice Trovoada told Luce.
The Statute of the Ministry of State (MP), revised and unanimously approved by the deputies present on 5 July, provides in Article 206 for the extension of the mandate of the current PPP, Kelve Nobre de Carvalho, for another year, “so that he can continue the reforms being carried out at the level of the Public Prosecutor’s Office”, while Article 205 establishes their promotion to the top of the career ladder “immediately and without regard to any formality”.
On Thursday, the Sao Tome Prosecutors’ Union condemned the law, warning that “the scope of application of some standards” approved by lawmakers “would likely irreparably compromise the autonomy of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and its agents, as it would violate certain constitutional and legal norms and principles.”
In a statement sent to Lusa, the union said it would request the intervention of the President of the Republic, Carlos Vila Nova, because it believes that the approved law contains “norms capable of configuring the highway for the intervention and intrusion of external forces that could undermine the necessary autonomy inherent in the actions of prosecutorial judges.”
In a statement on Thursday, the Sao Tome and Principe Bar Association (OASTP) said Article 206 “clearly violates the principle of non-renewability that underlies the mandate of the Attorney General of the Republic,” given that it is legally established that he “is appointed for a six-year term and cannot be reappointed for a second consecutive term.”
The organization also emphasizes that “this legislative measure clearly represents an element that violates the institutional stability of the public ministry, which could lead this institution to a situation of fragility and discredit, which should be avoided, given that the public ministry is the defender of the rule of law.”
“The people who order the most are actually people, this time in what has been very controversial for many years, today we have reached a consensus in the Assembly, this is something we should appreciate. Let the prosecutor stay for a few more months to participate in the implementation of the reform, which does not shock me, and it seems that it did not shock the deputies either, so everyone voted for it,” the Prime Minister said today.
Asked about the criticism voiced by the Union of Magistrates and the Bar Association, Patrice Trovoada downplayed its significance.
“If the one who issues the law created this law, if there are complaints, then this is in the appropriate headquarters. […] The law in the country is adopted by the National Assembly, it voted unanimously, that’s what we must understand, private interests always exist,” said the head of government, speaking on the sidelines of the launch of a professional internship program, which the Executive will finance monthly for 350 young people 1,400 dobra (57 euros) for the next six months.