Cape Verde: Power balance and federal administration at the center of democratic stability

Posted on: 23/10/2021 – 08:52

Goose Think Tank Uploaded Document on Cape Verde During the October 17, 2021 presidential election, as you do for all the presidential elections in the region. In your opinion, Cape Verde has affirmed its uniqueness in terms of democratic integration in a troubled regional environment.

Yes absolutely. A peaceful, peaceful and confident election campaign. An election day that takes place under the same conditions, without incident and without controversy. A National Electoral Commission that promotes trust in all stakeholders and the people. The media and the official government website announce the election results during the counting and centralization. The winner, Jose Maria Neves, casually celebrates his announced victory, while his main rival, Carlos Vega, realizes his defeat quickly and congratulates the winner. Life resumed a quiet course the day after the election.

Again, visitors to the expeditions sent by the African Union and ECOWAS did not do much, instead being able to enjoy the beauty of the different Cape Verde Islands. In West Africa we talk a lot about conspiracy, terrorism, the regression of democracy and the rule of law, and the archipelago located in the Atlantic Ocean seems more than ever an island of democratic stability and social cohesion. Although the country is one of the worst economic victims of the Govt-19 epidemic, it has stopped tourism for more than a year, a key sector that represents 25% of the economy. Despite this, there was no political crisis during the April 2021 legislative elections or last week’s presidential election.

But are the elections well-organized due to other factors, such as the very low population of Cape Verde, 568,373 people in 2018 and the importance of the diaspora weighing in as immigrants? Is there anywhere else in West Africa?

It is undeniable that the small population of the archipelago should be taken into account in the analyzes of Cape Verdean individuality, as a result of the many island species, as well as the unique history of the archipelago population. The Portuguese settled in Cape Verde in 1496, making it the first center of the triangular trade and slavery. It was not until 1975 that Cape Verde liberated itself from Portuguese colonial rule, while Guinea Bissau incorporated its history into the freedom struggle. Amilkar Cabral is the symbol of this fight.

Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau first formed a monopoly before splitting in 1980. Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC) are the Cape Verdean faction of the African Party for Independence. , PAICV and led the country as a single party until 1990. So Cape Verde has chosen a multifaceted system and democratic construction over the same period as other African countries. Regardless of the size of the population, this change may have gone bad and resulted in unproductive and corrupt junk democracies. Not all the least populous countries in Africa are exemplary democracies.

You believe that we should look closely at Cape Verde’s institutional choices and draw inspiration from the ethics of political actors in this country.

In fact. Differences with other countries in the region are due not only to the parliamentary nature of the Cape Verdean political regime, but also to the importance of the uniqueness of the National Assembly, from which the Prime Minister and the Head of Government come. This is a coexistence since Neves was elected president, from the party where the prime minister is contesting, from a majority in parliament. As we examine the country’s constitution, the desire to create a balance between all the poles of power and force the actors to make concessions to the partnership in decision-making becomes clear.

One of the key institutions available to Cape Verde is the Republican Council, the President’s Political Advisory Committee. The members of this body are the President of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister, the President of the Constitutional Court, the Attorney General of the Republic, the Arbitrator (Provodor de Justica), the Chairman of the Economic and Social Council (Conselho Economico e Community), the former Presidents of the Republic are not removed from their functions and the three citizens elected by the President are their Were selected for merit and merit. One of these citizens must be selected from the Cape Verde communities abroad. Even if the council’s debates are not constrained, the president is obliged to convene the council before making the most important political decisions.

So no, Cape Verde’s population is small so its political administration is democratic, peaceful and produces good social results. It is because men and women who want to create a sustainable country want to provide decent living for their fellow citizens and they have made intelligent institutional choices. No one is barred from going there to find some source of inspiration.