Watchdog to Track Cape Verde 2024 Election Promises
As Cape Verde prepares for municipal elections on December 1, a prominent civil society group has announced a bold initiative to ensure political accountability: a permanent registry to track every promise made on the campaign trail.
The Cape Verdean Civil Society Forum (Forum-CV) released a manifesto on Thursday declaring its intent to document all commitments made by candidates across the nation’s 22 municipalities. This registry will serve as a watchdog tool throughout the 2024–2028 mandate, allowing citizens to verify whether election winners actually deliver on their words.
A Roadmap for Local Governance
Beyond tracking promises, Forum-CV is challenging candidates to adopt specific social and structural reforms. A primary focus of the manifesto is the housing crisis. The group is calling for “access to dignified housing,” particularly for low-income residents, noting that the rise of clandestine constructions in urban centers highlights the urgent need for formal urban planning.
The manifesto also advocates for:
- Participatory Budgets: Implementing systems in all local governments that allow citizens a direct say in how public funds are spent.
- Code of Conduct: Establishing and enforcing municipal codes to ensure public cleanliness and the preservation of communal spaces.
- Strengthened Vigilance: Positioning civil society as an active partner in solving municipal challenges rather than a passive observer.
Concerns Over Declining Competition
While the Forum-CV seeks to bolster oversight, officials are raising concerns about the diversity of the electoral field. Maria do Rosário Pereira, president of the National Elections Commission (CNE), noted a sharp decline in independent citizen groups participating in this cycle.
“This represents a decrease in the electoral competitiveness that citizens need to make choices,” Pereira stated, warning that the drop from 12 independent movements in 2020 to just five this year suggests a need to “strengthen the democratic fabric” to avoid political backsliding.
The Election Landscape
Approximately 352,000 voters are registered for the upcoming polls, with the highest concentration of voters in the capital city of Praia, as well as São Vicente and Santa Catarina. A total of ten forces—five political parties and five citizen movements—are vying for control of the municipalities.
Currently, the ruling Movement for Democracy (MpD) holds the majority of local power, governing 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 “accountability registry” aims to ensure that no matter who wins, the promises made to the people are not forgotten.
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