Power at Independence
- Political organization
With the advent of the autonomies and independence that came to Africa during the 20th Century, Amílcar Cabral, Aristides Pereira, Luís Cabral, Júlio de Almeida, Fernando Fortes and Elisée Turpin started an independence struggle in neighbouring Guinea-Bissau, founding the “Partido Africano para a Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde” (PAIGC - African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde) on the 19th of September 1959. This struggle, together with the others that started in the other Portuguese colonies, was a cause for the “revolução dos cravos” (carnation revolution) in Portugal, which was carried out by its own army, that was tired of endless wars and guerrilla actions, and which ended with independence for all the colonies, including Cape Verde on the 5th of July 1975. A single-party government was formed immediately by PAIGC under Commander Pedro Pires, with Aristides Pereira as the President of the Republic.
Over the following years, the PAIGC organised an important transition to a multi-party system. The newly independent country had to organise itself politically, with the complex structures required, both within the state and in external relations. This included acession to various international organisations at the same time as guaranteeing development of the economy, education and the justice system and other strands in the life of the nation. This task was not without risk, as can be seen from developments in other countries that gained independence at the same time. In the majority of these countries there were civil conflicts of varying duration, with conflicting interests, from within the country and outside, battling it out until the necessary balance and stability were achieved for peace. Although Cape Verde had a large pool of people to draw on for filling the many government and administrative posts that were then created, many of whom came in from other countries, where they had studied, and in many cases they had active roles, it was also the case that others left the country at this point, preferring to pursue their careers elsewhere.
However it was also at the time of independence that many young Cape Verdeans finishing their secondary education went to Portugal, the Soviet Union, Cuba, Romania, Algeria, Belgium, Brazil and other countries to pursue their studies.
Cape Verde managed to develop a wave of diplomacy to generate a highly favourable and sympathetic climate, and international co-operation started during this period, particularly from Portugal, France, Luxembourg, Holland, Germany, the United States and Belgium.
In the meantime, as Guinea gave up its aim of union, as set down by its founder, the PAIGC was renamed the PAICV on the 12th of February 1981.
In 1990 the PAICV renounced the single-party regime and organised elections where several other parties also stood, such as the Movimento para a Democracia (Movement for Democracy - MPD), headed by Carlos Veiga, and the União do Povo das Ilhas de Cabo Verde (Union of the People of the Islands of Cape Verde - UPIC).
The elections took place peacefully on the 13th of January 1991, and they were won by the MPD, who introduced various reforms, consolidating the democratic regime and introducing a new national anthem and a new flag. Local power passed to 16 autonomous authorities across the island, and Cape Verde re-inforced its membership of various international organisations, such as the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), and the CPLP.
In 2001 the elections brought a democratic change of power to the country, which was cited as an example among recent democracies, as the PAICV came back to power. The elections for the autonomous regions in May 2008 applied the new division of autonomies voted in by the National Assembly, which increased the number of Municipal Chambers in Cape Verde to 22, and this time the MPD won.
Cape Verdean democracy has shown itself to be solid and stabilised, with power shared between the President of the Republic, the government, the National Assembly and the autonomous regions, and the judicial system has regular court sessions that are fully functioning.
With the advent of the autonomies and independence that came to Africa during the 20th Century, Amílcar Cabral, Aristides Pereira, Luís Cabral, Júlio de Almeida, Fernando Fortes and Elisée Turpin started an independence struggle in neighbouring Guinea-Bissau, founding the “Partido Africano para a Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde” (PAIGC - African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde) on the 19th of September 1959. This struggle, together with the others that started in the other Portuguese colonies, was a cause for the “revolução dos cravos” (carnation revolution) in Portugal, which was carried out by its own army, that was tired of endless wars and guerrilla actions, and which ended with independence for all the colonies, including Cape Verde on the 5th of July 1975. A single-party government was formed immediately by PAIGC under Commander Pedro Pires, with Aristides Pereira as the President of the Republic.
Over the following years, the PAIGC organised an important transition to a multi-party system. The newly independent country had to organise itself politically, with the complex structures required, both within the state and in external relations. This included acession to various international organisations at the same time as guaranteeing development of the economy, education and the justice system and other strands in the life of the nation. This task was not without risk, as can be seen from developments in other countries that gained independence at the same time. In the majority of these countries there were civil conflicts of varying duration, with conflicting interests, from within the country and outside, battling it out until the necessary balance and stability were achieved for peace. Although Cape Verde had a large pool of people to draw on for filling the many government and administrative posts that were then created, many of whom came in from other countries, where they had studied, and in many cases they had active roles, it was also the case that others left the country at this point, preferring to pursue their careers elsewhere.
However it was also at the time of independence that many young Cape Verdeans finishing their secondary education went to Portugal, the Soviet Union, Cuba, Romania, Algeria, Belgium, Brazil and other countries to pursue their studies.
Cape Verde managed to develop a wave of diplomacy to generate a highly favourable and sympathetic climate, and international co-operation started during this period, particularly from Portugal, France, Luxembourg, Holland, Germany, the United States and Belgium.
In the meantime, as Guinea gave up its aim of union, as set down by its founder, the PAIGC was renamed the PAICV on the 12th of February 1981.
In 1990 the PAICV renounced the single-party regime and organised elections where several other parties also stood, such as the Movimento para a Democracia (Movement for Democracy - MPD), headed by Carlos Veiga, and the União do Povo das Ilhas de Cabo Verde (Union of the People of the Islands of Cape Verde - UPIC).
The elections took place peacefully on the 13th of January 1991, and they were won by the MPD, who introduced various reforms, consolidating the democratic regime and introducing a new national anthem and a new flag. Local power passed to 16 autonomous authorities across the island, and Cape Verde re-inforced its membership of various international organisations, such as the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), and the CPLP.
In 2001 the elections brought a democratic change of power to the country, which was cited as an example among recent democracies, as the PAICV came back to power. The elections for the autonomous regions in May 2008 applied the new division of autonomies voted in by the National Assembly, which increased the number of Municipal Chambers in Cape Verde to 22, and this time the MPD won.
Cape Verdean democracy has shown itself to be solid and stabilised, with power shared between the President of the Republic, the government, the National Assembly and the autonomous regions, and the judicial system has regular court sessions that are fully functioning.
