PRAIA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Cape Verde has registered 416,335 voters for its upcoming legislative elections on May 17, up 5.95 percent from the 2021 polls, according to provisional data released by the National Election Commission (CNE).
CNE President Maria do Rosario said at a press conference on Tuesday that the number of registered voters was rising much faster among the diaspora than within the country, with growth of 36.5 percent abroad compared with 1 percent domestically.
According to the commission, the number of overseas voters rose from 52,752 in 2021 to 72,051 in 2026, covering 19 countries where voting will take place. The increase was attributed mainly to the pilot introduction of a new voter registration system through the consular services portal, allowing citizens to register when applying for or renewing passports.
Cape Verde's Santiago Island, home to the capital Praia, will elect 33 of the 72 members of the National Assembly. The country's other eight islands will elect another 33 lawmakers, while overseas constituencies will choose six.
A total of 48 candidate lists submitted by five political parties have been approved for the elections. The ruling Movement for Democracy (MpD) and the opposition African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), the two main parties that have alternated in power, are the only parties fielding candidates in all 13 constituencies.
The campaign is scheduled to begin at 0000 GMT on April 30 and run through May 15.
Prime Minister and MpD leader Ulisses Correia e Silva, who has been in office since 2016, is seeking a third consecutive term, while PAICV is betting on its leader Francisco Carvalho, mayor of Praia, in a bid to return to power. ■
