Paulo Veiga Vows to Rebuild MpD and Reconnect with Voters
Paulo Veiga, the newly elected president of Cape Verde’s Movement for Democracy (MpD), has a clear mandate: bridge the widening gap between the party leadership and its supporters. In an interview with Lusa following his internal victory, Veiga outlined a strategy to decentralize power and reclaim the party’s status as a dominant municipal force by 2029.
Back to the Roots
Rejecting immediate talk of a 2031 run for Prime Minister, Veiga emphasized that his current mission is structural. “I think 2031 is still far away,” he noted. “Our goal is to return the party to the grassroots, reclaim the municipal councils, and make the MpD, once again, the largest municipal party in Cape Verde.”
Veiga is taking the helm at a critical juncture. The MpD has hemorrhaged approximately 38,000 voters over the last decade. This decline culminated in a stinging defeat to the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV) in May, following a collapse in municipal strength where the MpD plummeted from governing 14 councils to just seven.
Addressing the “Distant Government”
Veiga pointed to a growing “dissonance” between the government’s macroeconomic success and the daily struggles of Cape Verdeans. While the outgoing administration posted strong economic data, Veiga admits voters felt ignored.
“Something I was told in the country and in the diaspora was that there was an excellent government, but it was distant,” Veiga said. He criticized the party’s failure to listen to the warning signs of past municipal losses. “We chose to say they are different elections and chose not to listen.”
To fix this, Veiga plans to amend party statutes at the upcoming XIV National Convention. His goal is to strip power from the central leadership and return it to local municipal commissions. “In 2016, local bodies chose the deputies and mayors. In 2024 and 2026, it was the top leadership. When people feel they have no influence, they lose interest,” he warned.
Unifying the Front
The new leader faces an immediate test with the November 15 presidential elections. The MpD has already backed former Justice Minister Joana Rosa to challenge incumbent President José Maria Neves. While acknowledging the difficulty of unseating an incumbent, Veiga pledged full logistical support. “If Joana Rosa wants the president of the MpD by her side, I am here to represent the members,” he said, noting that any result above 30% would be a strong showing against a sitting president.
A Legacy Reborn
Veiga’s political identity is deeply rooted in the MpD’s origins. The son of party founder Carlos Albertino Veiga and cousin to the nation’s first democratically elected Prime Minister, Carlos Veiga, he aims to channel the energy of the 1990s.
“I promised during the campaign to bring back the MpD of Carlos Veiga—an MpD very close to the people and communicative with society,” he concluded. “That weight will be with me throughout my three-year mandate.”
Image: Pexels – damien Saillet
