Movement for Democracy (Cape Verde)

Movement for Democracy Movemento para Democracia
Leader	Carlos Veiga
Founded	1990
Headquarters	Praia, Santiago Island, Cape Verde
Ideology	Centrism, Liberalism
International affiliation	Centrist Democrat International
Website
http://www.mpd.cv/

The Movimento para a Democracia (Portuguese: Movement for Democracy) is a ideological liberal party in Cape Verde. It was in power between 1991 and 2001. MPD was created on March 14, 1990, and their first convention was held in November 1990. They won the first elections after the end of the one-party system in Cape Verde, with more than 2/3 of the seats of the National Assembly. Its members are nicknamed “os ventoinhas” in Portuguese (the wind fans), because of the symbol of the party that reminds a wind fan, and they identify themselves with the color green.

In this transitional period, the MPD was involved in the removal of Article 4 of the 1980 Cape Verdean constitution, which codified the one-party system. The MPD also helped establish a timeline for the transitional period.

The MpD is a right-of-center party, favoring free trade, an open economic policy, and greater cooperation with international organizations such as the WTO and ECOWAS.

While the MpD enjoys its greatest support in the Barlavento islands, it has earned growing support in the secondary cities of the Sotavento group, such as Mosteiros, Calheta, Assomada and Tarrafal.

The MpD's policies, most which are perceived by some as being damaging to local traditional agriculture, have prevented it from gaining a strong following in the agrarian municipalities such as Santa Cruz, São Filipe and São Miguel.

In presidential elections held on 11 and 25 February 2001, Carlos Alberto Wahnon de Carvalho Veiga, who won 45.83% of the vote in the first round, was narrowly defeated by PAICV candidate Pedro Pires in the run-off by a margin of only 12 votes.

In the last legislative election, held on 22 January 2006, the party won 44.02% of the popular vote and 29 out of 72 seats in the National Assembly.

In the latest presidential election held on 12 February 2006, Carlos Veiga was again defeated by Pedro Pires, by a margin of 49.02% to 50.98%.

See also

• List of liberal parties
• Liberal democracy

External links

• Official web site