Cape Verde: Former Prime Minister Neves Wins Presidential Elections

Cape Town — According to provisional results, former prime minister José Maria Neves won the presidential election in the first round the candidate of the historic Left Party in Cape Verde (PAICV). The results were made public on Sunday, October 17.  He won with 51.5% of the vote, the absolute majority required to be elected in the first round.

Neves, 61, was prime minister from 2001 to 2016.

The elections saw a 97% of citizens participating, according to authorities. His main opponent Carlos Veiga, 71, had also been prime minister from 1991 to 2000. Veiga admitted defeat, and congratulated his opponent in a televised broadcast. He also praised the civility of the Cape Verdeans.

Veiga’s party, the Movement for Democracy (MpD), however won a parliamentary majority last April with 38 seats while the PAICV won 30 seats. If and when the presidential results in validated by the electoral commission, it will mean the two parties will have to be allied. Cape Verde is a semi-parliamentary regime that headed by the prime minister, the government and the Parliament. The role of the president is very limited.

Neves have however promised to be a president for all Cape Verdeans, to serve Cape Verde, with impartiality.

“I will be the president who unites and protects,” he said. “It is a huge responsibility.”

Translated from RFI by Michael Tantoh