Cape Verde 2024: Watchdog to Track All Municipal Campaign Promises
As Cape Verde prepares for municipal elections on December 1, a prominent civil society organization is launching a proactive campaign to hold local leaders accountable. The Cape Verdean Civil Society Forum (Forum-CV) announced on Thursday that it will maintain a formal transition of every promise and commitment made by candidates during the 2024 campaign trail.
Tracking Promises from Ballot to Town Hall
In a newly released manifesto, Forum-CV detailed its plan to monitor the winners across all 22 municipalities throughout their four-year mandates. The objective is to create a living record that tracks whether campaign rhetoric translates into tangible policy between 2024 and 2028.
“Forum-CV announces that it will proceed with the registration of all promises and commitments made by candidates,” the organization stated. This initiative aims to transform civil society into a permanent “agent of vigilance,” ensuring that the voices of voters are not forgotten once the ballots are counted.
Housing and Ethics at the Forefront
Beyond simple monitoring, the Forum’s manifesto outlines critical priorities for the next generation of local leaders. A primary concern is the urgent need for “dignified housing,” particularly for low-income residents. The group pointed to the rise of clandestine, unregulated constructions in urban centers as a symptom of a housing crisis that requires immediate attention.
The manifesto also advocates for several structural reforms to local governance, including:
- Participatory Budgeting: Ensuring citizens have a direct say in how municipal funds are spent.
- Codes of Conduct: Implementing municipal guidelines to protect public spaces and improve urban cleanliness.
- Direct Engagement: Inviting every candidate to formally commit to these measures before the election.
Concerns Over Shrinking Competition
This year’s election arrives amid concerns regarding a decline in political diversity. Only 10 political forces—comprising five parties and five independent citizen movements—are competing this year. This marks a significant drop from the 16 groups that ran four years ago, where 12 independent movements were on the ballot.
Maria do Rosário Pereira, president of the National Elections Commission (CNE), warned that this trend suggests a potential “setback” in democratic vibrancy. “It may demonstrate a need to reinforce the democratic fabric,” she stated, noting that high levels of competitiveness are essential for a healthy democracy.
The Election Landscape
Approximately 352,000 voters are registered for the December 1 vote, with half of the electorate concentrated in the economic and political hubs of Praia, São Vicente, and Santa Catarina.
The current local political landscape is dominated by the Movement for Democracy (MpD), the nation’s ruling party, which currently controls 14 municipalities. The main opposition, the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), holds the remaining eight.
Image: Pexels – Edmond Dantès
