Guilherme Posser Da Costa
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Guilherme Posser da Costa (born 18 May 1953) is a São Toméan who served as the ninth
prime minister of São Tomé and Príncipe A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a Product (mathematics), product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime ...
from 1999 to 2001. Posser da Costa served as
Minister of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...
: 1987–1988, 1990–1991, and 1994–1996. He later served as Prime Minister from 5 January 1999 to 26 September 2001.


Biography

Guilherme Posser da Costa was born on 18 May 1953 in
São Tomé São Tomé is the capital and largest city of the Central African island country of São Tomé and Príncipe. Its name is Portuguese for " Saint Thomas". Founded in the 15th century, it is one of Africa's oldest colonial cities. History Álv ...
, the main city of then-
Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe or Portuguese Central Africa was a colony of the Portuguese Empire from the discovery of the islands in 1470 until 1975, when independence was granted by Portugal. History The Portuguese explorers João de S ...
. He studied law at the
University of Coimbra The University of Coimbra (UC; , ) is a Public university, public research university in Coimbra, Portugal. First established in Lisbon in 1290, it went through a number of relocations until moving permanently to Coimbra in 1537. The university ...
in
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
, specializing in
legal science Legal science is one of the main components in civil law tradition (after Roman law, canon law, commercial law, and the legacy of the revolutionary period). Legal science is primarily the creation of German legal scholars of the middle and late n ...
; he graduated in June 1978. He is married and has three children. Posser da Costa pursued a political career in the Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe/Social Democratic Party (MLSTP/PSD), which was the sole legal party until the introduction of a multiparty system in 1991. He has held the parliamentary functions of deputy and vice-president of the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
. Within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Posser da Costa served as Director of Political Affairs, Secretary of State and then Minister on three occasions: from 1987 to 1988, 1990 to 1991, and 1994 to 1996. He has also been Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the European Community, and the
Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, , translates ...
. He was
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
from 5 January 1999 to 26 September 2001."Sao Tome's ex-PM accuses president of "insulting" parliament"
Xinhua, February 17, 2005.
In early November 2004, Posser da Costa allegedly damaged the office of Attorney General Adelino Pereira in an attack. Pereira said this was due to an investigation regarding embezzlement of aid funds and ordered Posser da Costa's arrest. Due to the alleged attack, Posser da Costa resigned from parliament on 15 February 2005, just before his parliamentary immunity was to be removed. On 18 March 2005, he received a two-year suspended sentence for damaging Pereira's office and "insulting public authority"; he was also required to pay compensation. For his part, Posser da Costa said that Pereira had falsely accused him of being involved in the embezzlement of aid funds, and that he had only been a witness in that case, not a suspect. Posser da Costa was a member of the National Commission and the Political Commission of the MLSTP/PSD, and Vice President under the leadership of founder and former
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Manuel Pinto da Costa Manuel Pinto da Costa (born 5 August 1937) is a São Tomé and Príncipe, Santomean economist and politician who served as the first president of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1975 to 1991. He again served as president from 2011 to 2016. Life a ...
. At the Fourth Congress of the MLSTP/PSD, Posser da Costa was elected party President on 27 February 2005, succeeding Pinto da Costa. There were 708 votes in favor of Posser da Costa, who was the only candidate, and three votes against him. He held this position until 2010, when he was replaced by Aurelio Martins. Posser da Costa was nominated as the MLSTP/PSD candidate in the 2021 presidential election. Although he won the support of the MLSTP/PSD National Council with 83% of the vote, his competitors for the nomination chose to register as independent candidates in the election.


Honours

* Grand Cross,
Order of Prince Henry The Order of Prince Henry () is a Portuguese order of knighthood created on 2 June 1960, to commemorate the quincentenary of the death of the Portuguese ''infante'' Prince Henry the Navigator, one of the main initiators of the Age of Discovery. M ...
(1996)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Posser da Costa, Guilherme 1953 births Living people Prime ministers of São Tomé and Príncipe Foreign ministers of São Tomé and Príncipe Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe/Social Democratic Party politicians Heads of government who were later imprisoned University of Coimbra alumni Grand Crosses of the Order of Prince Henry 20th-century São Tomé and Príncipe politicians 21st-century São Tomé and Príncipe politicians