The PAICV Party headquarters in São Filipe, Fogo, Cape Verde
PRAIA, Aug 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Cape Verde’s Constitutional Court has approved seven candidates for the Oct 17 presidential election, it said in a statement.
Péricles Tavares was the only candidate rejected due to some irregularities, the court added.
This is the first time that Cape Verde has seven official candidates for the country’s top job since independence from Portugal in 1975.
The candidates are José Maria Pereira Neves, Carlos Alberto Wahnon de Carvalho Veiga, Fernando Rocha Delgado, Gilson João dos Santos Alves, Hélio de Jesus Pina Sanches, Joaquim Jaime Monteiro and Casimiro Jesus Lopes de Pina.
Neves is running on a PAICV ticket while Veiga is supported by the ruling Movement for Democracy (MpD). The two previously served as the country’s prime ministers.
Incumbent Jorge Carlos Fonseca, 70, who has ruled the country since 2011, served the maximum two terms and cannot run in the Oct 17 polls.
Electoral campaigns will take place from Sept 30 to Oct 15. In the event of a presidential run-off, this will be scheduled for Oct 31.
Cape Verde has had four Presidents since independence: the late Aristides Pereira (1975-1991), the late António Mascarenhas Monteiro (1991-2001), the first by direct election, Pedro Pires (2001-2011) and Jorge Carlos Fonseca (2011 to present). — NNN-AGENCIES