PRAIA, Cape Verde (AP) — Cape Verde Residents voted Sunday in a presidential election that could make Joana Rosa the country’s first female head of state since its independence from Portugal in 1975.
Polling stations closed on Sunday evening for the vote in which the former Minister of Justice challenges President José Maria Neves, who is seeking a second term. Six candidates are competing. If no one wins more than half of the votes, a runoff will take place on November 29.
Rosa enjoys the support of the opposition Movement for Democracy, which governed for a decade before losing legislative elections in May. Women have held senior Cabinet positions, but the Atlantic island nation West Africa has never had a female president or prime minister.
This archipelago country in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of West Africa, struggles with challenges such as high unemployment and a high cost of living.
“I see a lot of promises that are not kept. I’m tired, but I continue to vote,” said Aderito Cardoso, a 44-year-old resident of Villa Nova, in the capital Praia, after casting her vote.
In Cape Verde’s parliamentary system, the prime minister directs policy and holds most executive power. The role of the directly elected president is largely ceremonial, although this office gives him the power to veto legislation.
This country of about half a million people has a record of competitive elections and peaceful transfers of power that stands out in the region. Nearly 77,000 citizens living abroad are registered to vote, representing almost a fifth of the electorate.
Roselma Évora, professor of political science and gender studies at the University of Cabo Verde, said limited economic opportunities were pushing young people to leave. Many voters also feel disconnected from political leaders and want a president who understands their daily struggles, she said.
Neves, who won the presidency in 2021 with about 52% of the vote, promised to strengthen cross-party support to improve housing, health care and education, create jobs and raise wages.
His mandate gave him greater visibility, including among foreign voters, Évora said. Rosa’s candidacy, meanwhile, challenges traditional expectations of women in a society that remains “very patriarchal.”
Rosa focused her campaign on the balance of power, arguing that the presidency should serve as a counterweight to the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde, which supports Neves and controls the government and most municipalities.
The party, known as PAICV, won a parliamentary majority in May, ending a decade of rule by the Movement for Democracy. A victory for Rosa would once again place the presidency and the government on opposing political camps.
For Cape Verdean writer Rosário Luz, party loyalty matters more than Rosa’s gender.
“We have a lot of women in politics, but we don’t have the policies we should have for women,” she said.
Women bear much of the financial responsibility for their households, but government policies have failed to tackle this burden, Luz said.
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