By Tamba Jean-Matthew III
Cape Verde’s constitutional court is set to officially declare the country’s leftist PAICV party leader as the new president of the Island country.
José Maria Neves, 61, won the plebiscite in the first round on Sunday when provisional results were announced on the same day giving him 51.5 percent.
Incumbent and outgoing President Carlos Vegas, 71, confirmed Neves’ victory thereby endorsing an imminent constitutional court declaration that will maintain Cape Verde’s clean democratic fact sheet.
Election commission officials recorded a disputed 97 percent voter turnout with more than half of the population residing abroad.
Vegas’ Movement for Democratic party however won a parliamentary majority last April with 38 seats while the PAICV nested 30.
Both men had been Prime Ministers of Cape Verde which has a semi-parliamentary regime that is headed by a Prime Minister while the role of President is considered very limited al beit head of the executive and the army.
