PAICV Wins Absolute Majority in Cape Verde Elections
Cape Verde is set for a significant political shift as the opposition African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV) claims an absolute majority victory in the nation’s legislative elections. While 25 of the 1,333 polling stations have yet to report their final figures, current results and concessions point to a clear win for the PAICV.
PAICV Leader Claims Mandate
Francisco Carvalho, president of the PAICV, has already declared victory, asserting that his party has secured enough seats to govern with an absolute majority. Internal party sources indicate the PAICV is on track to hold 37 of the 72 seats in the National Assembly.
Incumbent Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva, who has led the country since 2016 as head of the Movement for Democracy (MpD), has reportedly conceded the race and offered his congratulations to Carvalho. The candidates’ early statements suggest that internal party data from the field has outpaced the official reporting on the government’s election portal.
The Numbers and the Turnout Crisis
According to the official data available at 02:20 AM local time, the seat distribution stands as follows:
- PAICV: 33 deputies (46.7% of the vote)
- MpD: 30 deputies (43.6% of the vote)
- UCID: 2 deputies (5.1% of the vote)
Seven seats remain officially unassigned as the final tallies from the remaining polling stations are processed.
However, the victory is shadowed by a concerning trend in civic engagement. Election officials noted a record-high abstention rate of 53.4%, meaning more than half of the eligible electorate chose not to cast a ballot. This lack of participation marks a historic low for the West African island nation, which is often cited as a model of democracy in the region.
Looking Ahead
If the results are confirmed, the PAICV will return to power after a decade in opposition. The new government will face the immediate challenge of addressing the economic concerns and voter apathy that defined this election cycle.
Image: Pexels – Adem Erkoç
