Cape Verdean President José Maria Neves has officially declared his bid for re-election ahead of the presidential vote set for November 15. First elected in 2021 with more than 51 percent of the vote in a single round, the head of state now hopes to extend a term defined by an unusual form of cohabitation, since the government remains in opposition hands under Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva of the Movement for Democracy.
His 2021 win already marked a turning point for his party, the PAICV, which had not claimed a presidential election since Pedro Pires secured re-election back in 2006. Neves is now banking on his record in office to persuade voters to grant him another term, in an archipelago where elections are decided over two rounds and where Cape Verdeans living abroad are also entitled to cast a ballot.
Standing against him, the ruling camp has put forward its own contenders. Janine Lélis, Minister of State for Defense and Territorial Cohesion since 2021, and Joana Rosa, the Minister of Justice, have both entered the race, with Rosa openly aiming to become the country’s first female president. To register with the Constitutional Court, candidates must gather between 1,000 and 4,000 voter signatures, hold Cape Verdean citizenship alone, be at least 35 years old, and have lived in the country for at least three years.
Nine other hopefuls have also signaled their intention to run, suggesting the election will be a wide-open and closely fought contest in this small Atlantic archipelago, often held up as one of the continent’s most stable democracies.