Cape Verde Watchdog to Track 2024 Election Pledges
PRAIA, Cape Verde – The Cape Verdean Civil Society Forum (Forum-CV) has launched a proactive initiative to ensure political accountability, announcing it will document every campaign promise made by candidates ahead of the December 1st municipal elections. The organization intends to track these pledges throughout the 2024–2028 term to verify if the victors actually deliver on their words.
In a newly released manifesto, the Forum-CV stated that the registry will monitor the actions of elected officials across all 22 of the nation’s municipalities. The goal is to transform campaign rhetoric into a concrete checklist for the public, strengthening the role of civil society as a “vigilant agent” in local governance.
A Focus on Housing and Civic Responsibility
Beyond tracking promises, the Forum-CV manifesto outlines urgent priorities for the incoming municipal leaders. Chief among these is the demand for access to decent housing, particularly for low-income citizens. The organization cited the rise of clandestine, unregulated construction in urban centers as a direct symptom of the housing crisis that candidates must address.
The manifesto also calls for the implementation of participatory budgeting across all municipalities, a system that allows residents to have a direct say in how public funds are spent. Additionally, the group is pushing for municipal codes of conduct to improve public sanitation and the maintenance of shared spaces.
Concerns Over Shifting Political Landscape
The upcoming vote comes at a time of change for Cape Verdean local politics. Data reveals a significant drop in the number of independent citizen groups participating in the elections. This year, only ten entities are competing—five political parties and five citizen movements. In contrast, the 2020 elections saw 16 competing forces, including 12 independent movements.
Maria do Rosário Pereira, President of the National Elections Commission (CNE), expressed concern over this trend, noting that the decrease in independent groups could signal a decline in the “electoral competitiveness” required for voters to have diverse choices. She warned that the democratic fabric must be continually reinforced to avoid political setbacks.
The Stakes for December 1st
Approximately 352,000 voters are registered for the poll, with the highest concentration of voters located in the capital city of Praia, as well as São Vicente and Santa Catarina.
The outcome will determine whether the ruling Movement for Democracy (MpD) can maintain its dominance. Following the 2020 elections, the MpD controls 14 municipalities, while the opposition African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV) holds eight. With Forum-CV’s new monitoring system in place, the winners of this cycle will face unprecedented scrutiny over the next four years.
Image: Pexels – Tomas Wells
