Cape Verde - Politics

From independence to parliamentary democracy

Constitution

The constitution consists of civil rights and obligations, e.g.:

1. freedom of opinion, of religion and of demonstration
2. death penalty and lifelong prison sentence are abolished
3. the seat of government and the National Assembly is the capital of Cape Verde: Praia.

Cape Verde, which in 1975, the year of the declaration of independence, were admitted in the UNO, had become a stable country under the Pereira administration. In spite of the statal one-party-system the islands did not develop towards totalitarism, on the contrary: the PAICV, at least in the first years, seemed to meet the interests of the citizens in many aspects. The party supported social balance, education, the securing of alimentation and a functioning health care. However, at the end of the 1980ies, intellectual and clerical groups demanded the introduction of a multiparty system.
The National Assembly met this demand by establishing a change of the constitution in 1990. On this fact the democratic party MDP was founded, and also the Democratic Union of Cape Verde (VCID), which had been active so far only outside the country, could be established in Cape Verde.

Political parties

- PAICV Partido Africano da Independência de Cabo Verde, founded in 1981, before that PAIGC, since 1956

- MPD Movimiento para a Democracia founded in 1990

- PCD Partido da Convergênzia Democrática, founded in 1994, having split off the MDP

- UCIDUnião Caboverdiana Independente e Democrática, founded in the American and Portugnese exile in 1975

- PSD Partido Socialista Democrático, founded in 1992

- PTS Partido do Trabalhoe da Solidariedade, founded in 1998