00:01South Torment Principe's Constitutional Court has confirmed a fine presidential candidate for the 19th July election,
00:09but rejected businessman and lawmaker Nino Monteiro over family background criteria.
00:15The ruling has triggered a backlash from Monteiro's party,
00:19which says the decision violates equality principles in the Constitution and plans to appeal.
00:25Among the approved candidates are incumbent President Carlos Villanova,
00:30former Prime Minister Jorge Bom Jesus, and Nito Dabreu, the parliamentary leader of the ADI.
00:38Officials say nearly 142,000 voters are registered for the vote, up by around 19,000 from 2022.
00:47Two major parties have jostled to run the country since independence in 1975,
00:52that is the movement for the liberation of South Torment Principe,
00:56the socio-democratic party, and the right-wing independent democratic action party.
