(4 minutes read)
· Cape Verdeans headed to the polls to cast their ballots in the parliamentary election
· Six parties were in the fray including Incumbent Prime Minister Correia e Silva
· Janira Hopffer Almada head of the socialist PAICV party is hoping to make history as the first female head of government
Cape Verdeans headed to the polls to cast their ballots in the parliamentary election. The plight of the tourism industry may be an overriding factor in the election. Six parties were in the fray including Incumbent Prime Minister Correia e Silva. He is bidding for a second term with his centre-right Movement for Democracy (MpD) party.
Meanwhile, Janira Hopffer Almada, head of the socialist PAICV party is hoping to make history as the first female head of government. Both candidates’ major plank of assurance is to provide wide access to vaccination and to diversify the economy away from tourism. Both of them claim that they would develop finance programs to manage poverty and avenues for making alternative sources of living other than tourism, which they are uncertain when that (tourism) would bounce back.
Also, for tourism the West African country has to depend on European travelers because of its old colonial linkage. With pandemic still at large, there is uncertainty when the sector would pick up. However the country lacks freshwater and arable land for cultivation to reduce dependence on import of food materials. Fishing is another option to get engaged by the people.
The Island nation is known for its political stability. The campaigns, which were festive and laced with frolic, the candidates danced to music. However, it has to be seen how the political parties would take the outcome of the election. Will they follow what has been the trend in other African countries which have gone to polls recently or gracely accept the mandate is something to be seen? But analysts are of the view that it i\wa more than likely the results will be accepted serenely. Provisional results are expected overnight.
