Cape Verde Government

The government of Cape Verde is carried out under a representative democratic republic, which means the citizens of this country elect officials to represent their interests in government. The executive branch of Cape Verde is led by the President of the country, whereas the legislative branch is headed by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister oversees the National Assembly, which consists of 72 members. The judicial branch operates independently of the legislative and executive branches.

In Cape Verde, citizens participate in elections at all levels of government. The national government is considered a multi-party system, although it operates as a two-party system with most of the power held by two political parties. The President is elected to serve a 5-year term and may serve two terms consecutively. Additional terms may be served only after sitting out of office for 5 years. The number of terms a Prime Minister can serve is not limited. Members of the National Assembly are also elected for 5-year terms and the number of representatives is based on proportional representation.

The members of the National Assembly meet in the National Assembly Building, which is located in the capital city of Praia. The construction of this building was completed in 1981 with the help of funding from the government of China. The President of Cape Verde resides in the Presidential Palace, which is located in the downtown neighborhood of Praia. This building was built at the end of the 1800’s and reflects a neo-greco architectural style.

The vast majority of representatives in the National Assembly belong to one of the following political parties: African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (52.68%) and Movement for Democracy (42.27%). Only 2 individuals belong to a third party, known as the Democratic and Independent Cape Verdean Movement. Other, lesser-known political parties in Cape Verde include: Labour and Solidarity Party, Social Democratic Party, Democratic Renewal Party, and Democratic Convergence Party.