Cabo Verde: Potential clashes loom over governance principles and parliamentary relations

The President of Cabo Verde's National Assembly has proposed redefining the institution as the 'House of the People,' a concept reminiscent of popular democracies and the post-independence national popular assembly. This suggests a shift from representative democracy, where deputies are elected with fixed mandates, towards a participatory model that emphasizes direct popular sovereignty. The rationale is that representative democracy may not fully capture the people's will, and greater political and social participation could address perceived deficiencies. However, the article argues that despite its flaws, liberal representative democracy remains the least detrimental political system and the one historically most conducive to prosperity and freedom.

A potential conflict area lies in the relationship between the government and the National Assembly. Cabo Verde operates under a parliamentary system where the government is accountable to the parliament. The current government, appointed by the President, requires parliamentary confidence to gain full powers. Concerns have been raised about the government's apparent haste in the post-election power transfer, particularly scheduling the presentation and discussion of its legislative program for a single day, July 17th, nearly a month after taking office. This deviates from constitutional and parliamentary rules that mandate a 15-day period for the government to submit its program and a subsequent 15-day period for parliamentary debate and a confidence vote. The author questions the government's decision to condense this crucial process into one day, suggesting a reluctance to engage fully with parliamentary procedures and potentially weakening the separation of powers and accountability mechanisms.