Complete List Of Presidents Of Cape Verde (1975-Present)

This is the complete list of all the Presidents of Cape Verde from 1975 till date, which includes their terms In office, and political affiliations:

Cape Verde’s First President

Aristides Pereira was the first president of Cape Verde, having served from July 5, 1975, to March 22, 1991. Born on November 17, 1923, on the island of Boa Vista, Pereira was a key figure in the country’s fight for independence from Portugal, which Cape Verde achieved in 1975.

Pereira was a member of the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV). This political group played a part in the battle against colonial rule.

After Cape Verde became independent, the National Assembly chose Pereira to be the president. As president, Pereira aimed to make Cape Verde a democratic and socialist nation.

However, he faced many challenges, including economic problems and the need to manage different opinions and dissent.

Despite these difficulties, Cape Verde had a better human rights record than many other African countries during his time in office.

Pereira worked closely with Pedro Pires, the Prime Minister. Together, they focused on building a stable government and meeting the needs of the people.

During the Cold War, Pereira’s administration avoided close ties with either the Western or Eastern blocs, choosing a path of non-alignment.

In the late 1980s, there was growing pressure for political reform. In 1990, the PAICV decided to introduce multiparty democracy.

However, Pereira stepped down as the party’s general secretary and ran for re-election in 1991. He lost to António Mascarenhas Monteiro of the Movement for Democracy (MpD). After leaving office, he passed away on September 22, 2011.

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Current Cape Verde President

The current president of Cape Verde is José Maria Neves. He became president on November 9, 2021, after winning the election on October 17, 2021.

Neves is part of the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV). José Maria Neves was the Prime Minister of Cape Verde from 2001 to 2016.

This made him one of the longest-serving leaders in Cape Verde’s history. As Prime Minister, he worked on many important issues like improving the economy and social policies.

His long experience in government helped him win the presidency. In the election, he received about 51.7% of the votes, defeating Carlos Veiga, who got around 42.4%.

In his speech when he became president, Neves talked about how important security and stability are for Cape Verde. He promised to strengthen ties with other West African countries and Portuguese-speaking nations.

He also said he would work closely with the current Prime Minister, Ulisses Correia e Silva, to ensure they work together well.

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​Who Is The Vice President Of Cape Verde?

Cape Verde does not have a position specifically called “Vice President.” Instead, the country has a Prime Minister who plays an important role in the government.

The current Prime Minister is Ulisses Correia e Silva. He has been in office since April 2016 and is a member of the Movement for Democracy (MpD) party.

In Cape Verde’s political system, the President serves as the head of state, while the Prime Minister is the head of government.

The President’s role is mostly ceremonial, they represent the nation and make sure the constitution is followed. The Prime Minister also is in charge of running the government and making sure policies are put into action.

While there is no Vice President, the government has other important officials, including ministers who head various departments.