Cape Verde Presidential Election: 5 Candidates Approved
Cape Verde’s Constitutional Court has finalized the lineup for the upcoming presidential elections, admitting five candidates for the November 15 vote while disqualifying five others. According to a ruling released on Monday, the court also formally accepted one candidate’s withdrawal from the race.
The Contenders: A Battle of Giants
Topping the list of approved candidates is incumbent José Maria Neves. Seeking a second term, Neves enjoys the backing of the ruling African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV). He is set to face a formidable challenge from former minister Joana Rosa, who carries the support of the main opposition party, the Movement for Democracy (MpD).
Joining them on the ballot are three independent figures: Gilson Alves, a medical doctor; Casimiro Pina, a jurist; and Antero Tavares, a judge. For Neves, Alves, and Pina, this is a return to the campaign trail, as all three previously contested the 2021 presidential election.
In that 2021 race, Neves secured a decisive first-round victory with 51.79% of the vote. In contrast, Pina and Alves secured 1.8% and 0.76%, respectively.
Disqualifications and Legal Hurdles
The court’s ruling was less favorable for five other hopefuls. The candidacies of Jorge Luís dos Santos, Amadeu Fortes Oliveira, Fernando Rocha Delgado, Loisito Tavares de Sousa, and Jacinto Spencer dos Santos were all rejected.
The most high-profile rejection involved Amadeu Oliveira, a lawyer and former deputy currently serving a seven-year prison sentence. Oliveira was convicted in 2022 for his role in the escape of a client who had been convicted of homicide. The Constitutional Court ruled that his current legal status results in a “temporary incapacity to exercise political office.”
The other four candidates were disqualified due to various “ineligibilities and irregularities” that the court determined had not been corrected within the required timeframe. Additionally, the court formally recorded the withdrawal of Péricles Tavares from the contest.
The Road to November 15
With the field now set, Cape Verde is shifting into high gear for the election cycle. The official campaign period is scheduled to begin on October 29, leading up to the nationwide vote on November 15. The election will test the strength of the ruling PAICV against the MpD-backed opposition in one of West Africa’s most stable democracies.
Image: Pexels – Edmond Dantès
