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São Tomé and Príncipe political flags

Last modified: 2007-06-09 by antónio martins
Keywords: mlstp | movimento de libertação de são tomé e príncipe | costa (manuel pinto da) |
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M.L.S.T.P.-P.S.D. (1990-)

M.L.S.T.P.-P.S.D. flag
image by António Martins, 01 Oct 2005

M.L.S.T.P. still exists — in fact it is the governing party. Its full designation is now MLSTP-PSD (PSD standing for «Social Democratic Party»). In 1990 Sao Tome & Principe became one of the first African nations to embrace political change; the MLSTP was the sole legal party until that time, but lost the 1991 election following the transition to multi-party democracy. They regained power in 1994.
Jorge Candeias

It is a green flag with a large dark blue horizontal stripe, fimbriated white, located at the lower middle of the flag; at the hoist a red area (overlapping the stripe) with a chevron-shaped line (pointing to the hoist) dividing from the green area; the party logo on a white yellow-fimbriated disc, its diameter apparently 3/5ths (or 11/18ths) the flag’s height, so located that its edge touches both the chevron’s (invisible) apex and the point where red, (bottom) white and (bottom) green meets.
António Martins, 01 Oct 2005

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M.L.S.T.P. (1972-1990)
Movimento de Libertação de São Tomé e Príncipe / Liberation Movement of Saint Thomas and Prince Islands

M.L.S.T.P.
image by Željko Heimer, 27 Nov 2000

According to Flaggenmitteilung 96 (March 1984), the flag of the MLSTP (said to be designed by its leader Manuel Pinto da Costa) was modified a little to create the new national flag (in 1974).
Mark Sensen, 26 May 1997

In Crampton’s Complete Guide to Flags [cra90f], The section about São Tomé and Príncipe begins like this:

The flag of the republic, although in the pan-African colours, is derived from that of the Liberation Movement, whose flag was adopted in 1972. The only difference is that the Liberation Movement flag had equal horizontal stripes.

It leaves a slight unsecurity regarding the stars, but one would guess that maybe they were not so strictly defined during the stougle time.

Željko Heimer, 27 Nov 2000

As far I know the triangle in the MLSTP flag was longer, perhaps until center of the flag, or a triangle of three equal sides, I believe. If I dont remember wrong Don Healey searched this topic for a communication to an vexillology international congress.
Jaume Ollé, 09 Dec 2000


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