Government & politics — Cape Verde

• history: previous 1981;
• latest effective 25 September 1992 amendments: proposals require support of at least four fifths of the active National Assembly membership; amendment drafts require sponsorship of at least one third of the active Assembly membership; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership; constitutional sections, including those on national independence, form of government, political pluralism, suffrage, and human rights and liberties, cannot be amended; revised 1995, 1999, 2010

• chief of state: President Jose M
• aria Pereira NEVES (since 9 November 2021) head of government: Prime Minist
• er Jose Ulisses CORREIA e SILVA (since 22 April 2016) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on th
• e recommendation of the prime minister elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 17 October 2021 (next to be held in October 2026); prime minister nominated by the Nati
• onal Assembly and appointed by the president election results: 2020: Jose Maria Pereira NEVES elected president; percent of vote - Jose Maria Pereira NEVES (PAICV) 51.7%, Carlos VEIGA (MPD) 42.4%, Casimiro DE PINA (independent) 1.8%, Fernando Rocha DELGADO (independent) 1.4%, Helio SANCHES (independent) 1.14%, Gilson ALVES (independent) 0.8%, Joaquim MONTEIRO (independent) 3.4% 2016: Jorge Carlos FONSECA reelected president; percent of vote - Jorge Carlos FONSECA (MPD) 74.1%, Albertino GRACA (independent) 22.5%, other 3.4%

Description

unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

Elections

last held on 18 April 2021 (next to be held in April 2026)

Election Results

• percent of vote by party MPD 50.2%, PAICV 39.6%, UCID 9.0%, other 1.2%
• seats by party - MPD 38, PAICV 30, UCID 4
• composition as of October 2023 - men 44, women 28, percent of women 38.9%

• highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice (consists of the chief justice and at least 7 judges and organized into civil, criminal, an
• d administrative sections) judge selection and term of office: judge appointments - 1 by the president of the republic, 1 elected by the National Assembly, and 3 by the Superior Judicial Council (SJC), a 16-member independent body chaired by the chief justice and includes the attorney general, 8 private citizens, 2 judges, 2 prosecutors, the senior legal inspector of the Attorney General's office, and a representative of the Ministry of Justice; chief justice appointed by the president of the republic from among peers of the Supreme Court of Justice and in consultation with the SJC;
• judges appointed for life subordinate courts: appeals courts, first instance (municipal) courts; audit, military, and fiscal and customs courts

22 municipalities (concelhos, singular - concelho) Boa Vista, Brava, Maio, Mosteiros, Paul, Porto Novo, Praia, Ribeira Brava, Ribeira Grande, Ribeira Grande de Santiago, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Catarina do Fogo, Santa Cruz, Sao Domingos, Sao Filipe, Sao Lourenco dos Orgaos, Sao Miguel, Sao Salvador do Mundo, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal, Tarrafal de Sao Nicolau

• African Party for Independence of Cabo Verde or PAICV [Jose Maria Pereira NEVES]
• Democratic and Independent Cabo Verdean Union or UCID [João DOS SANTOS LUIS]
• Democratic Christian Party or PDC [Manuel RODRIGUES]
• Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Victor FIDALGO]
• Movement for Democracy or MPD [Ulisses CORREIA E SILVA]
• Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO]
• Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS [Anibal MEDINA]
• Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao ALEM]

• no citizenship by descent only: at least one paren
• yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, CD, CPLP, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador John "Jeff" DAIGLE (since 10 September 2019) embassy: Rua Abilio Macedo 6, Praia mailing address: 2460 Praia Place, Washington DC 20521-2460

telephone

[238] 260-8900

FAX

[238] 261-1355

Email address and website

• PraiaConsular@state.gov
• https://cv.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission

Ambassador Jose Luis do Livramento MONTEIRO ALVES DE BRITO (since 23 December 2020)

chancery

3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone

[1] (202) 965-6820

FAX

[1] (202) 965-1207

Email address and website

• embassy.wdc@mnec.gov.cv
• https://www.embcv-usa.gov.cv/

consulate(s) general

Boston