Elections

Parliamentary elections in Cape Verde: the policy exchange after 14 years?

The Cape Verde Islands are considered to be a democratic model country in Africa. Since independence 40 years ago, there have been several peaceful changes of power. After the parliamentary elections this Sunday, it might be time again.

Young, female, popular: the candidate Janira Hopffer Almada

Young and female – a combination candidate of the African government parties has in top really is a rarity. The 37-year-old Janira Hopffer Almada is the program for decades-the Power of adhesive heads of state of many countries in Africa.

Since December 2014, the former youth Minister, Chairman of the former liberation movement which emerged the African party for the independence of Cape Verde (PAICV). It goes to the PAICV, to follow Hopffer Almada, your party colleagues, for the past 14 years, incumbent Prime Minister José Maria Neves.

You could be the first Prime Minister of the country. Could be, because many Kapverder make the PAICV for the poor economic situation is responsible. The state debts of the West African island state has doubled, according to data from the world Bank between 2008 and 2013, from 36 to 81 percent. The unemployment rate is, according to the national Institute of statistics, 16 percent; especially young people to find a Job.

Janira Hopffer Almada, has provided a “new economic agenda” at the heart of their election campaign. So you want to create up to 25,000 new Jobs. For one, it relies on the development of three strategic sectors of tourism, agriculture and fisheries, on the other, especially the private sector to provide more growth. “We want to improve the environment for business and the economy in such a way to regulate that more competition,” promises Hopffer Almada.

Parties-two fight with the Opposition

Her rival, Ulisses Correia da Silva, lays a shovel and even promises 45,000 new jobs in the next five years. He is the Chairman of the movement for democracy (MpD). Since the end of the one-party regime on the West African Islands at the beginning of the 90s the conservative MpD the adversary of the socialist PAICV.

Correia da Silva was by the end of 2015, the mayor of the capital, Praia. The MpD is currently also with Jorge Carlos Fonseca, the President of the Republic, but in the political System of this island archipelago is more of a representative, non-partisan role.

Ulisses Correia da Silva promises to be a high rate of economic growth

Also, the MpD relies completely on the economy as a campaign issue number One. “Our target growth of seven per cent per year. So much needs to grow the country, so that sustainable ‘quality of jobs’, by which poverty is reduced,” says Correia da Silva. “This requires that we have a good environment for business. That means: lower taxes and the bureaucracy leaner and less to the economy.”

In addition, Correia would like to da Silva, the national debt and the foreign countries to reduce debt. Both were ran in the past few years from the helm. The financial burden that threatens to stifle the enterprise of the country.

Democratic change in the pattern of land

The Parliament is represented by the liberal Union for Independent and democratic Cape Verde (UCID) just one more party. This third force in the country, only two of the 72 members currently but.

So far, it has given to the Cape Verde Islands two peaceful changes of power between the government and the Opposition: After the first free elections in the country in 1991, the then ruling PAICV gave the Power to the MpD. In 2001, another change followed, and then in the other direction.

Cape Verde is located 570 km off the West coast of Africa and from the mainland States, some

“Here, on the Cape Verde Islands there are no deaths due to political clashes. You can see the ratios do not compare what is happening on the African mainland,” commented the Cape Verdean political analyst Júlio Lopes the model. In the intra-African comparison, it has, in fact, rarity value, that choice will be recognized results without discussion, and implemented.

The dominance of the ruling party

The political System of Cape Verde gets by Júlio Lopes, nevertheless, no, best notes: “There is, in my opinion, a strong tendency of the political forces take advantage of their Power to their favor. They use institutional resources to promote your party or your candidate”, writes the analyst. “We cut as bad as Europe. I would say that we are approximately on a level with Latin American countries.”

It promises to be a quiet election to be on 20.March, when the 350,000 registered voters of the Parliament to determine. Unrest no one expected.

Employees: Nélio dos Santos (Praia), António Cascais