PRAIA, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Cape Verde on Thursday officially launched campaigning for its May 17 legislative elections, with political leaders and electoral authorities calling for broad civic participation and a peaceful, rules-based contest.
President Jose Maria Neves urged voters to examine the proposals put forward by the competing parties and cast their ballots in line with their expectations, stressing that abstention weakens democracy and voting remains an important way for citizens to defend their interests, according to local media reports.
The National Election Commission (CNE) also called for a campaign marked by civility, mutual respect, and compliance with electoral rules.
The vote will decide the 72 seats in the National Assembly. The CNE said 48 candidate lists from five political parties have been validated for the election.
Official figures released by the CNE showed that 419,755 voters are registered for the polls, up 6.82 percent from the previous legislative elections in 2021, with the sharpest increase recorded among voters in the diaspora. ■