Cape Verde Watchdog to Track Election Campaign Promises
As Cape Verde prepares for its municipal elections on December 1, a prominent civil society watchdog is putting candidates on notice: every promise made on the campaign trail will be tracked, archived, and measured against future performance.
Accountability Under the Microscope
The Cape Verdean Civil Society Forum (Forum-CV) announced on Thursday that it is launching a comprehensive registry to document the commitments made by candidates across all 22 municipalities. This “accountability ledger” will serve as a monitoring tool throughout the 2024–2028 mandate, ensuring that the winners are held responsible for their platform goals once they take office.
“The Forum-CV will proceed with the registration of all promises and commitments made by candidates during the 2024 electoral campaign,” the organization stated in a new manifesto. The group emphasized that this initiative aims to transform civil society into an active “agent of vigilance,” moving beyond simply voting to actively supervising local government.
Urgent Priorities: Housing and Ethics
Beyond tracking promises, the Forum’s manifesto outlines a series of urgent demands for the next generation of local leaders. Chief among these is the need for “dignified housing,” particularly for low-income citizens. The group pointed to the rise of illegal construction in urban centers as a direct symptom of the housing crisis and a failure of municipal planning.
The Forum is also calling for:
- Participatory Budgeting: Implementing systems in every municipality that allow citizens a direct vote on how tax dollars are spent.
- Codes of Conduct: Consolidating municipal rules to ensure public cleanliness and respect for shared spaces.
- Increased Transparency: Strengthening the collaborative link between local governments and community organizations.
Concerns Over Shrinking Competition
The initiative arrives at a time when electoral diversity in Cape Verde appears to be waning. Data from the National Elections Commission (CNE) shows a significant drop in independent candidacies. This year, only 10 political forces (five parties and five citizen movements) are competing—a sharp decline from the 16 groups that ran four years ago.
CNE President Maria do Rosário Pereira expressed concern over the trend, noting that the decrease in independent citizen movements represents a loss of “electoral competitiveness.” She warned that the “democratic fabric” needs constant strengthening to avoid political setbacks.
The Electoral Landscape
Approximately 352,000 voters are registered for the December polls, with 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 holds 14 municipalities. The main opposition, the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), holds the remaining eight. As the campaign intensifies, Forum-CV’s new registry ensures that regardless of which party wins, the voters will have the receipts.
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