Cape Verde votes as first female presidential candidate challenges incumbent

On Sunday, Cape Verde's citizens will head to the polls to choose their next president, with incumbent José Maria Neves set to compete against the nation's first female candidate, a former justice minister. The election campaign centers around creating employment opportunities for the young, as most of the country's population of around 500,000 resides on the island nation, with a significant number of Cape Verdeans living abroad, primarily in the United States and Portugal.

Neves, who served as prime minister for 15 years before becoming president in 2021, belongs to the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), the oldest political party in the country. This party secured 37 out of 72 seats during the May legislative elections, allowing Francisco Carvalho to assume the role of prime minister.

Analysts predict that Neves has the best chance of winning the presidential election, as he is up against six other candidates, including his main rival, Joana Rosa, from the Movement for Democracy party. The presidential position in Cape Verde holds veto authority and a mediating role in the government under the hybrid parliamentary-presidential model.

As a popular tourism destination, Cape Verde recently gained international attention when its men's soccer team advanced to the World Cup knockout stage and when a cruise ship off its coast suffered a hantavirus outbreak. The archipelago has witnessed a mass exodus of its young people in search of better job prospects, prompting Neves to pledge the organization of a youth summit during his second term, while Rosa has called for the government to enable young people to "build their futures here at home and prevent the continued exodus of young Cape Verdeans abroad".

Voting will commence at 8 a.m. (0900 GMT) and conclude at 6 p.m. (1900 GMT), with provisional results anticipated within two or three days. If no candidate secures more than 50% of the votes, a runoff election will be held on November 29.