Watchdog to Track Cape Verde 2024 Election Promises
As Cape Verde prepares for its December 1 municipal elections, a powerful new watchdog is emerging. The Cape Verdean Civil Society Forum (Forum-CV) announced on Thursday that it will meticulously track every promise made by candidates on the campaign trail to ensure the eventual winners are held accountable throughout their four-year terms.
“We Are Watching”: A Mandate for Accountability
In a newly released manifesto, Forum-CV declared it will maintain a comprehensive record of all commitments made during the 2024 campaign across the nation’s 22 municipalities. This monitoring effort is designed to span the entire 2024–2028 mandate, transforming campaign rhetoric into a verifiable checklist for voters.
“Forum-CV announces that it will proceed with the registration of all promises and commitments made by candidates,” the organization stated. The group aims to strengthen the role of civil society as an “agent of vigilance,” offering cooperation to local governments while ensuring they don’t lose sight of their pledges.
Priority Issues: Housing and Ethics
Beyond simply tracking promises, the Forum’s manifesto outlines urgent policy demands. Chief among them is the need for “decent housing,” particularly for low-income families. The organization pointed to the rise of clandestine constructions in urban centers as evidence of a housing crisis that requires immediate political intervention.
The Forum is also calling for broader democratic reforms at the local level, including:
- Participatory Budgets: Mandatory implementation in all municipalities to give citizens a direct say in how public money is spent.
- Codes of Conduct: Building and enforcing municipal standards for cleanliness and the preservation of public spaces.
Concerns Over Shrinking Competition
The upcoming vote comes at a time when the diversity of political choices in Cape Verde appears to be narrowing. National Elections Commission (CNE) President Maria do Rosário Pereira recently noted a significant drop in independent candidacies. This year, only 10 political forces—five parties and five citizen movements—are competing. In contrast, 16 groups participated in the 2020 elections.
Pereira warned that this drop represents a “decrease in electoral competitiveness” and signaled a “need to strengthen the democratic fabric” to avoid potential setbacks in the nation’s governance.
The Stakes on December 1
Approximately 352,000 voters are registered to cast their ballots, with the majority concentrated in the capital of Praia, São Vicente, and Santa Catarina. The political landscape is currently dominated by the Movement for Democracy (MpD), which governs 14 municipalities. The opposition African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV) holds the remaining eight.
As the campaign heats up, Forum-CV’s message to candidates is clear: your words in November will be your benchmarks for the next four years.
Image: Pexels – Sora Shimazaki
