Fradique de Menezes

Infobox President
name = Fradique de Menezes

---

order = President of São Tomé and Príncipe
primeminister = Maria das Neves
Damião Vaz d'Almeida
Maria do Carmo Silveira
Tomé Vera Cruz
Patrice Trovoada
Joaquim Rafael Branco
vicepresident =
term_start = 23 July 2003
predecessor = Fernando Pereira
successor =
primeminister2 = Guilherme Posser da Costa
Evaristo Carvalho
Gabriel Arcanjo da Costa
Maria das Neves
vicepresident2 =
term_start2 = 03 September 2001
term_end2 = 16 July 2003
predecessor2 = Miguel Trovoada
successor2 = Fernando Pereira
birth_date = birth date and age|1942|03|21|df=y
birth_place = São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe
spouse =
party = MDFM-PL

Fradique de Menezes (born March 21, 1942) has been the President of São Tomé and Príncipe since 2001.

Fradique de Menezes was born on the then Portuguese colony of São Tomé in 1942, the son of a Portuguese man and a local woman. He attended high school in Portugal, and then studied Education and Psychology at the Free University of Brussels (now split into the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel). Menezes is a successful businessman. He was foreign minister of São Tome and Príncipe from 1986 until 1987. He was elected President in July 2001 with about 55.2% of the vote, defeating Manuel Pinto da Costa, who received about 40%. [http://africanelections.tripod.com/st.html Elections in São Tomé and Príncipe] , African Elections Database.] Menezes took office on September 3, 2001. [ [http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=11088&SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=SAO_TOME_AND_PRINCIPE "New president sworn-in"] , IRIN, September 4, 2001.] His eligibility as a candidate was questioned, since he also held Portuguese citizenship, but he renounced this and his candidacy was approved. [ [http://www.afrol.com/News2001/stp004_menezes_pres.htm "Fradique de Menezes new president on Sao Tomé"] , afrol News, August 6, 2001.] On July 16, 2003, while he was away in Nigeria, there was a military coup d'etat led by Fernando Pereira, but Menezes would be later restored back to power on July 23 2003, following an agreement. [ [http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=35580&SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=SAO_TOME_AND_PRINCIPE "Coup leaders hand power back to civilian president"] , IRIN, July 23, 2003.]

Menezes was re-elected on July 30, 2006, winning 60.58% of the vote and defeating Patrice Trovoada, son of former president Miguel Trovoada. [ [http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=54946&SelectRegion=West_Africa "Incumbent wins vote"] , IRIN, August 2, 2006.]

External link

* [http://www.un.org/ga/63/generaldebate/saotomeandprincipe.shtml President Menezes' address to the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly] , September 26, 2008

References