The Hindu : Coup leader promises polls

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 18, 2003

International

International - Globescan

Coup leader promises polls

SAO TOME (Sao Tome and Principe): The leader of a military coup in this tiny, oil-rich West African country on Thursday said he did not want to rule and intended to call elections. Maj. Fernando Pereira, an artillery officer who headed Wednesday's bloodless coup, told Portuguese state radio Radiodifusao Portuguesa that his rebellious troops acted to save the impoverished country from social and economic decline. ``We achieved our objective by taking over,'' Maj. Pereira told the Lisbon, Portugal-based radio station by phone. ``Now we have to set up a provisional government and ... create the conditions for free elections. We don't want power.'' President Fradique de Menezes was believed to be still in Nigeria where he was attending meetings when the coup took place.

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