Presidential in Cape Verde: who to succeed Jorge Carlos Fonseca?

The seven contenders for the presidential office of Cape Verde, October 17, 2021. © RFI

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1 min

Some 400,000 voters are called to the polls.

Seven candidates are in the running, a record.

Among them, two former Prime Ministers from the main parties that dominate political life: Carlos Veiga of the Movement for Democracy (MPD, liberal), and José Maria Neves of the PAIGC, a former single party.

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With our special correspondent in Praia,

Posters, caravans, rallies, always in music, of course ... The campaign took place without major incident, and with a certain fervor, despite the president's limited powers. 

With the role of arbiter, the Head of State is the guarantor of the unity of the Nation.

He represents the country abroad and can exercise a right of veto in the Assembly, now dominated by the MPD after the April legislative elections.

In this semi-parliamentary system, executive power rests with the government.

Cape Verde has so far only experienced one cohabitation, between 2011 and 2016.

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Political maturity

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The election comes against a backdrop of a health crisis that has devastated the country's economy, which is very dependent on the outside world.

The geographical configuration of the archipelago is in itself a logistical challenge, with voters in nine islands, not counting those of the large diaspora, which represents 14% of those registered, in 21 countries. 

But Cape Verde is used to peaceful polls.

A "

" hailed by the ECOWAS observation mission which deploys 71 people this Sunday.

The African Union, for its part, dispatched 30 observers.

If none of the candidates wins more than 50% of the votes, a second round will be organized on October 31.

The opening of the polling stations is scheduled at 7 a.m. local (UT-1), until 6 p.m.

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