Cape Verde President to seek re-election in November polls

Cape Verde's President Jose Maria Neves intends to contest for a second five-year term in the nation's upcoming November elections, he declared on Monday. The island nation, situated in the Atlantic Ocean near Senegal, is set to hold its elections on November 15. Neves, aged 66, previously served as prime minister from 2001 to 2016 and was inaugurated as president in 2021.

With the current interim president of the National Assembly, Janira Hopffer Almada, overseeing the interim presidency for the subsequent two months following Neves' announcement, he expressed his intention to utilize the expertise acquired during his tenure for the benefit of the nation's future. During a press conference in the capital Praia, Neves stated, "I will run for a new five-year term to put the experience I have gained at the service of the future, to champion causes I have pursued and which cannot be confined to a single election cycle and to build a victorious and prosperous nation."

As of now, nine candidates have confirmed their intentions to vie for the presidency; however, they are required to submit the necessary paperwork to the country's constitutional court by Wednesday. Candidates for the Cape Verde presidency are often proposed by members of civil society, and while political parties may endorse a presidential candidate, the president cannot be a member of any party.

Neves mentioned his desire to garner support from the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), which he once headed, alongside seeking wider backing. With a population of 520,000 inhabitants, Cape Verde is an archipelago off the coast of West Africa. Once a Portuguese colony until 1975, the nation is recognized as a beacon of democracy in Africa.

Since its first free elections held in 1991, Cape Verde has maintained relative stability with no electoral violence, despite experiencing two periods of political cohabitation between different parties leading the government and presidency. However, the country confronts significant social issues, such as poverty and youth unemployment.