The President of the National Elections Commission (CNE) of Cabo Verde, Maria do Rosário Gonçalves, announced on Saturday that all necessary materials have been distributed nationwide in preparation for the presidential election on November 15. However, she noted that the CNE is facing challenges in composing some voting tables due to members' refusal and resignation, citing health issues, particularly conjunctivitis.
The CNE has identified difficulties in delivering electoral materials to the diaspora, specifically in Florida and Washington, USA, due to flight cancellations. Teams had to resort to traveling by land, with estimated travel times between 12 and 24 hours. Gonçalves assured that the materials are en route, with teams traveling to Washington and Miami having already covered nearly 10 and 13 hours of their journeys, respectively.
Gonçalves confirmed that all electoral kits have been received by the presidents of voting tables nationwide. She appealed to candidates to ensure their delegates are present at voting assemblies to monitor electoral operations. The CNE also urged voting table members to fulfill their duties with responsibility and impartiality.
The CNE encouraged citizens to participate in the electoral process by exercising their right to vote while respecting electoral rules and procedures. Gonçalves reported a 0.75% increase in registered voters compared to the last legislative elections, with 419,448 voters registered for the presidential election, representing an increase of 3,113 voters.
The presidential election features six candidates: Antero Tavares, Casimiro de Pina, Gilson Alves, Joana Rosa, José Maria Neves, and Loisito de Sousa. Cabo Verde has had five presidents since gaining independence from Portugal in 1975, with the first being Aristides Pereira, followed by António Mascarenhas Monteiro, Pedro Pires, Jorge Carlos Fonseca, and José Maria Neves, who won the last presidential election in 2021 with 51.75% of the votes.
According to the Constitution of Cabo Verde, the President of the Republic is elected by universal and direct suffrage by registered citizens. To be eligible, a candidate must be a Cabo Verdean by origin, without another nationality, at least 35 years old, and have permanent residence in the country for the three years preceding the candidacy.
Over 400,000 voters, including more than 76,000 in the diaspora, are registered to vote. Voting tables will operate from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. If no candidate obtains more than half of the valid votes, a second round will be held on November 29. A total of 145 international observers from five organizations are present in Cabo Verde to monitor the presidential election.
Key points
- The CNE faces challenges in composing voting tables due to members' health issues.
- Electoral materials have been delivered to the diaspora despite flight cancellations.
- Over 400,000 voters are registered to participate in the presidential election.
