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Cape Verde

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Map of Cape Verde Last reviewed: 25 February 2009

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POLITICS

A new constitution was adopted in 1992 to formalise the new dispensation. It was subsequently amended in 1999. It provides for an elected President who is required to get two-thirds of the vote in the first round to win, or the majority of votes in a second-round runoff between the 2 top candidates. There is a 72-member National Assembly. Its members choose the Prime Minister to whom he is accountable. The President has the right to dissolve the National Assembly.

In the first multi-party legislative elections held in January 1991, the opposition MPD won 56 of the 72 seats and their candidate Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro comfortably defeated Pereira in the presidential elections held one month later. In December 1995, the MPD won its second landslide victory in the legislative elections. The incumbent President, Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro was re-elected unopposed in February 1996.

Following a divisive leadership battle in the MPD, the PAICV made a comeback in the January 2001 legislative elections, winning 40 seats. The MPD nevertheless won 30 seats, confirming Cape Verde’s 2-party politics. In the Presidential elections of February the same year, Pedro Pires of the PAICV and Carlos Viega of the MPD came first and second. Pires won the second round, but only after the National Electoral Commission confirmed his victory by just 17 votes.

In legislative elections held on 22 January 2006, the ruling PAICV was re-elected with more than half the votes cast. Presidentials on 12 February 2006 resulted in the re-election of Pedro Pires on first round voting.

BBC News: Africa
Cape Verde Government

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Contacts

Cape Verde

Address:

Embassy of the Republic of Cape Verde
Avenue Jeane 29 1050 Brussels


Telephone:

 (00) 32 2 643 62 70


Fax:

(00) 32 2 646 33 85

Office hours: