Cape Verde goes to the polls on Sunday in an election that could see the African island nation appoint its first ever female leader. Justice Minister Joana Rosa challenges incumbent José Maria Neves, who is the country's fifth president since it became independent from Portugal in 1975.
Cape Verde could elect its first woman president Sunday as former Justice Minister Joana Rosa challenges incumbent José Maria Neves, who is seeking a second term.
Six candidates are competing, with a runoff scheduled for Nov. 29 if no candidate receives more than half the votes.
Rosa, backed by the opposition Movement for Democracy, is the first woman to run for president since independence from Portugal in 1975. Women have held senior cabinet posts, but Cape Verde has never had a female prime minister or president.
In Cape Verde’s parliamentary system, the prime minister directs government policy and holds most executive authority. The president’s role is largely symbolic, although the directly elected head of state can veto legislation.
The Atlantic island nation off West Africa, home to about half a million people, has a record of peaceful transfers of power and competitive elections in a region where that is rare. Nearly 77,000 Cape Verdeans abroad are registered to vote, almost a fifth of the total electorate.
