Cape Verde Watchdog to Track 2024 Election Promises
As Cape Verde prepares for municipal elections on December 1, a prominent civil society group is taking a stand to ensure that political rhetoric translates into real-world action. The Cape Verdean Civil Society Forum (Forum-CV) announced on Thursday that it will systematically record every promise made by candidates on the campaign trail to hold the eventual winners accountable over the next four years.
Accountability from Day One
The Forum-CV’s initiative aims to create a permanent database of commitments made during the 2024 electoral cycle. This record will be updated throughout the 2024–2028 mandate, allowing citizens to monitor the progress of elected officials across all 22 of the archipelago’s municipalities.
“The Forum-CV announces that it will proceed with the registration of all promises and commitments made by candidates,” the organization stated in a manifesto. It characterized the move as an effort to strengthen civil society’s role as both a “vigilant agent” and a cooperative partner in solving local challenges.
Key Demands for the Next Mandate
Beyond monitoring, the Forum-CV’s manifesto outlines several urgent priorities for the incoming municipal leaders. Chief among these is the expansion of decent housing, particularly for low-income residents. The group pointed to the rise of “clandestine constructions” in urban centers as a striking sign of the housing crisis that candidates must address.
The Forum is also calling for broader democratic reforms at the local level, including:
- The implementation of participatory budgeting in all 22 municipalities.
- The creation of municipal codes of conduct to protect public spaces and ensure urban cleanliness.
- A commitment to transparency and collaboration with local residents.
Concerns Over Declining Competitiveness
While the Forum-CV ramps up its monitoring efforts, election officials are raising concerns about the diversity of the political field. This year, only 10 political forces—comprising five parties and five independent movements—are competing. This marks a sharp decline from four years ago, when 16 groups, including 12 independent movements, were on the ballot.
Maria do Rosário Pereira, president of the National Elections Commission (CNE), noted that the drop in independent candidacies represents a “decrease in the electoral competitiveness that citizens need to make choices.” She warned that strengthening the democratic fabric must be a “permanent task” to avoid political setbacks.
The Electoral Landscape
Approximately 352,000 voters are registered for the December 1 polls, with roughly half of the electorate concentrated in the major hubs of Praia, São Vicente, and Santa Catarina.
The current political map is dominated by the ruling Movement for Democracy (MpD), which secured 14 municipalities in the 2020 elections. The main opposition, the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), currently holds eight. With the Forum-CV’s new monitoring initiative, whoever wins will face unprecedented scrutiny from the people they serve.
Image: Pexels – Sora Shimazaki
