President exhorts all sides to accept election results 25 July 2012
President Jorge Carlos Fonseca has affirmed that when election results are definitive, they should be accepted by all political parties, given the fact that Cape Verde is a country with democratic rules. The head of state made the statements while commenting on the results of the repetition of municipal elections at two polling stations in Santa Catarina de Santiago, which resulted in a win for the MpD in the municipal chamber and the PAICV in the municipal assembly.
In declarations to Cape Verdean National Radio as part of a conference being held in Praia on election disputes, Jorge Carlos Fonseca also affirmed that Cape Verde’s electoral system calls for a reassessment in order to avoid a number of situations that have recurred in the country’s electoral processes.
With regards to the talk of electronic voting and mandatory voting that has emerged in recent days, the head of state expressed caution, saying that electronic voting should only be implemented if the conditions for its effective operation are in place. Fonseca also said that the possible consequences of mandatory voting should be the object of evaluation before any decisions are made.
“We have to be lucid and objective,” said Jorge Carlos Fonseca, who also noted the fact that the participation rate in elections in Cape Verde has been reasonable. “But we have to aim for more. There are aspects that must be improved, with the creation of additional conditions.”
The conference “Election Contentions and Conflicts in the African Portuguese-Language Countries and East Timor within the context of the reinforcement and promotion of electoral justice” will run until Friday, July 27, and will also feature the participation of specialists from Portugal and Brazil.
Cidade da Praia
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