Polling has opened in Cape Verde’s presidential election, with President Jose Maria Neves seeking a second term against Joana Rosa, the first woman to run for the country’s presidency since independence.
More than 300,000 voters are eligible to cast ballots in the West African island nation, where six candidates are competing. Voting is scheduled to continue from 8am to 6pm local time.
Mr Neves, 66, is regarded as the favourite. A member of the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), he served as prime minister for 15 years before becoming president in 2021.
His party secured 37 of the 72 parliamentary seats in May, enabling him to appoint Francisco Carvalho, the former mayor of the capital, Praia, as prime minister.
His strongest challenger is Ms Rosa, a former justice minister representing the opposition Movement for Democracy. Her party governed Cape Verde for a decade before the May election.
Emigration at centre of campaign
The campaign has focused heavily on persistent emigration and the lack of jobs, with the archipelago having more citizens living abroad than the roughly 500,000 people residing on its islands.
Most Cape Verdeans in the diaspora live in Portugal, the country’s former colonial power, or the United States. Nearly 77,000 citizens living abroad are registered to vote at embassies.
Mr Neves has promised to organise a youth summit on emigration if he wins a second term. Ms Rosa has called for a government that enables young people “to build their futures here at home and prevent the continued exodus of young Cape Verdeans abroad”.
Roselma Evora, a professor of political science and gender studies at the University of Cabo Verde, said many voters felt disconnected from the political class because of concerns that it did not understand their everyday difficulties.
Cape Verde operates a hybrid parliamentary-presidential system in which the president has veto powers and a mediating role.
Results are expected within two to three days. A candidate must win more than 50% of the vote to avoid a run-off between the top two contenders, which is scheduled for November 29.
