Africa-Press – Cape verde. Cape Verdean President José Maria Neves considered this Wednesday, in Praia, that the performance of public administration and the State is being harmed by “excessive partisanship”.
“The big issue in Cape Verde has to do with the excessive cost of political participation”, taking into account, “essentially, the reprisals that people suffer”, he said at a conference on politics in which he was a speaker alongside two other former leaders of State, Jorge Carlos Fonseca and Pedro Pires, a rare meeting of political figures.
“This excessive partisanship has repercussions on the performance of public administration and the overall performance of the State. The issue is not the result of individual or organizational performance, but it is the level of political loyalty that exists in relation to this or that political party”, he stated, in response to a young man in the audience, at an event that lasted throughout the night.
José Maria Neves took advantage of the comparison made, on a certain occasion, by a university professor: “he said that the [public] administration is a volcano of Fire, because everything, absolutely everything, ends up at the top of the administration”, considering that the Middle managers fear they are taking sides.
The head of state illustrated, saying that “a general director does not take political risks of certain decisions” and a process has to “go up to the minister’s or prime minister’s office so that things can be decided”.
The situation means that, according to José Maria Neves, “some ministerial offices in Cape Verde” are “almost confessionals”, where people “are there waiting, to confess to the priest”, in an allusion to the hierarchy.
The situation “has an impact on the performance of health, education and several other sectors”, he said. “In education, I think we have to make a real revolution”, he added.
“In the 50 years [of independence], we did what we had to do reasonably well, now, if we continue to do it the same way, we will clearly go backwards. The country will lose in terms of competitiveness,” he said, alluding to Portugal’s independence obtained in 1975, almost half a century old.
As a solution, José Maria Neves suggests strengthening “trust between political parties” and that those involved be able to establish their own limits of action.
The Cape Verdean President’s comments came close to the date (today, November 9th) on which he will mark two years in office and after weeks filled with appeals to the Government for greater consultation, going so far as to write that there is a distance that has approached the “constitutional disloyalty”.
José Maria Neves was elected with the support of the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), while the Government is led by the Movement for Democracy (MpD), with an absolute majority in parliament – both being the dominant political forces in the country.
Questioned by the audience, the head of state considered that cohabitation experiences have worked in Cape Verde, with moments of tension that presidents must put into debate to lead to a growth in constitutional literacy.
Jorge Carlos Fonseca, former president, supported by the MpD, between 2011 and 2021 (and who, like Pedro Pires, worked with the then prime minister José Maria Neves), pointed out that type of tensions as something that has already arisen and which are a healthy symptom of a semi-presidential democratic system that must prioritize dialogue.
But there are other pillars of democracy that are suffering, he pointed out.
“It may give the impression that things in Cape Verde in terms of democracy are formidable. They are not, in my opinion. There are insufficiencies, loopholes, fissures in the building of democracy and the rule of law that deserve our attention,” she said.
One of the pillars that “deserves to be strengthened” is the technical capacity and independence of the judiciary”.
“I know that judges don’t like to hear it, but the idea I have is that, obviously, the judiciary in Cape Verde is independent, but it doesn’t seem to me that it is yet sufficiently technically capable, which is an important aspect of independence ”, he said.
Another pillar, he added, is civil society, which can make democracies stronger if it is “capable of functioning as a kind of control body for all powers”.
“We don’t have that yet in Cape Verde”, he added, defending a widespread commitment to education, especially teacher training, following the best institutional practices.
In the guide on policy innovations – which was the initial theme of the conference – former president Pedro Pires, supported by PAICV, recommended “sense”.
“When the country is at stake” he considered it essential that there be dialogue: “That’s how I see the relationship between the powers”.
“We are living in an extremely critical situation”, he said, alluding to global geopolitics, “and this advises us to consult each other. It’s not in good times that we consult each other, it’s in bad times”, he added, in what he considers to be a matter of “sense and a certain political experience”.
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