José Maria Pereira Neves(Portuguese:[ʒuˈzɛmɐˈɾiɐpɨˈɾejɾɐˈnɛvɨʃ];born 28 March 1960) is aCape Verdeanpolitician who is currently the president of Cape Verde,[1]having previously served as thePrime Minister of Cape Verdefrom 2001 to 2016. He is a member of theAfrican Party for the Independence of Cape Verde(PAICV). In the2021 presidential election,he was elected with 51.7% of votes, beating his nearest rivalCarlos Veigawho got 42.4% of the total votes.
José Maria Neves | |
|---|---|
 Neves in 2023 | |
| 5thPresident of Cape Verde | |
| Assumed office 9 November 2021[1] | |
| Prime Minister | Ulisses Correia e Silva |
| Preceded by | Jorge Carlos Fonseca |
| Prime Minister of Cape Verde | |
| In office 1 February 2001 – 22 April 2016 | |
| President | António Mascarenhas Monteiro Pedro Pires Jorge Carlos Fonseca |
| Preceded by | Gualberto do Rosário |
| Succeeded by | Ulisses Correia e Silva |
| Personal details | |
| Born | José Maria Pereira Neves 28 March 1960 Santa Catarina,Portuguese Cape Verde |
| Nationality | Cape Verde |
| Political party | African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde |
| Spouse | Débora Katisa Carvalho[2] |
| Education | Getúlio Vargas Foundation |
Biography
editNeves was born on the island of Santiago in 1960.[3]He became interested in the politics of Cape Verde as a teenager and was the leader of a nationalist youth organization during the country's transition from Portuguese rule to independence and democracy in 1975.[3]Part of his higher education was at theSão Paulo School of Business Administrationof theGetúlio Vargas FoundationinBrazil.[4]
He returned to Cape Verde in the 1980s and worked as a clerk in different state institutions. From 1987 to 1989, he was coordinator of the Project Administrative and Reform and Modernization. From 1988 to 1988, he was director of the National Training Centre for Public Administration. From 1989 to 1998, he was consultant in the field of National Training and Development of Human Resources Management.
Political career
editIn 1989, he became member of the PAICV party. As a candidate for the party leadership at PAICV's September 1997 congress, he facedPedro Pires;[5]Pires defeated Neves in the leadership election, winning 68% of the vote.[6]In May 2000, Neves—then serving as President of theSanta CatarinaTown Council—announced that he would seek the PAICV presidency again at the June 2000 party congress; Pires was leaving the PAICV presidency in anticipation of his candidacy in the next year'snational presidential election.[7]
After he became prime minister, he established diplomatic relations with thePeople's Republic of China.In 2002, he signed a "special treaty" with theEuropean Union,it was discussed on 15 November 2005.[8]In 2007, he called for a special relationship with the European Union due to the archipelago's proximity to the other islands ofMacaronesia,which are regions of Spain and Portugal.[9]A meeting with theCPLP(Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries) was held in November 2002. He also metAlamara Nhassé,Prime Minister ofGuinea-Bissau.He held additional portfolio ofMinister of Financefrom 2003 to 2004.[10]
In August 2005, he visited Brazil, where he toured sixstatesand had an audience with PresidentLula da Silva.A topic of discussion was investment in Cape Verde, including in theUniversity of Cape Verde,the first public university in the archipelago.[11]
He won the2006 parliamentary electionon 22 January with 52.28% of the votes and got 41 seats.[12]and on 7 March, he served his second term as prime minister.[13]TheWorld Bankand theIMFjudged favorably on its economic and financial policies.
While acknowledging the harmful effects of slavery and colonialism on Africa, Neves said in December 2006 that African leaders were primarily responsible for the continent's present-day problems, and that they "must assume their responsibility to develop a clear strategy for Africa's future that takes advantage of all of its human capabilities and natural resources."[14]
On 2 January 2007, he wanted to give Cape Verde a special status withECOWAS.[15]
A new government under Neves was announced on 27 June 2008, with six ministers joining the government and four ministers leaving it. Three of the new ministers were women, making it the first government in Cape Verde with a female majority (eight out of 15 portfolios).[16]
On 6 February 2011, he waselected to his third termby most Cape Verdean voters with 52.68% over MpD and 38 out of 72 seats, thus reinforcing his party's influence in the Cape Verdean parliament.[17]
He visited a trading conference, the 4thGlobal Review of Aid for Tradein from 8 to 10 July 2013.
On 6 September 2014, he announcedanother government.Janira Hopffer Almadasucceeded Neves as president of the parliamentary section of the PAICV party. After the2016 parliamentary electionson 22 April, he was succeeded byUlisses Correia e Silvaas prime minister.[18][19]
In October 2021, José Maria Neves, won the presidential election in the first round of 17 October. According to the first results published on an official website, he won 51.5% of the vote, an absolute majority necessary to be elected in the first round.[20]
As a writer
editNeves is also author of books and some news articles. Some of these were published in other African countries and in parts of Europe and in Brazil. He wrote:
- Ensaios sobre la Administrativa de la Ciência Política(Essays on the Administrative of Political Sciences)
- A Teória de la Administração Pública em Cabo Verde(A Theory on Public Administration in Cape Verde)
- Princípios sobre a Administração Pública em Cabo Verde no Século XXI(Principles on Public Administration in Cape Verde in the 21st Century)
- O Estado e a Administração Pública em Cabo Verde(TheState and the Public Administration in Cape Verde)
- Administração Pública no Concelho do Santa Catarina(Public Administration in the Municipality of Santa Catarina)
- O Estado na Era da Modernização no Cabo Verde.(The State in the Modernization Age in Cape Verde)
- Uma Agenda de Transformação para Cabo Verde(A Transformation Agenda for Cape Verde)
- Cabo Verde - Gestão das Impossibilidades(Cape Verde - Management of Impossibilities)
- Um Futuro a Construir,em co-autoria com Francisco Pinto Balsemão. (A Future to Build), with Francisco Pinto Balsemão as the co-author
Honours
editForeign honours
edit
Luxembourg:
Knight of theOrder of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau(23 May 2023)
Portugal:
Grand Collar of theOrder of Prince Henry(28 July 2022)
References
edit- ^abRodrigues, Julio (18 October 2021)."Opposition candidate Neves wins Cape Verde election".Reuters.Retrieved20 October2021.
- ^"José Maria Neves deve tomar posse como Presidente da República nos primeiros dias de Novembro - Primeira-dama é Débora Katisa Carvalho - Primeiro diário caboverdiano em linha - A SEMANA".
- ^ab"03-029 (José Maria Neves)".
- ^Lobban Jr and Khalil Saucier 2007, p. 167.
- ^"Cape Verde: Opposition party congress opens", Radio Renascenca, Lisbon (nl.newsbank.com), 19 September 1997.
- ^"Cape Verde: Former PM elected leader of main opposition PAICV party", Radio Renascenca, Lisbon (nl.newsbank.com), 22 September 1997.
- ^"Cape Verde: Town council leader to run for PAIGC party leadership", RDP Africa web site (nl.newsbank.com), 29 May 2000.
- ^"Cape Verde PM Discusses Special Partnership with EU".Afrol. 15 November 2005.
- ^Lopes, José Vicente (16 August 2007)."PM de Cabo Verde em ofensiva europeia"(in Portuguese). BBC News.Retrieved20 October2021.
- ^Antigos Ministros - Ministério das Finanças
- ^"Criação de universidade pública em destaque na visita do PM cabo-verdiano ao Brasil"(in Portuguese). RTP. 21 August 2005.Retrieved20 October2021.
- ^Lobban Jr and Khalil Saucier 2007, p. 167
- ^"Cape Verde's New Government Sworn".Afrol. 8 March 2006.
- ^"Africa 'stop blaming colonialism'"Archived2 January 2007 at theWayback Machine,AFP (News24.com), 22 December 2006.
- ^"Cape Verde wants special status at ECOWAS".afrol News.2 January 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 10 May 2021.
- ^"Profunda remodelação governamental em Cabo Verde",Panapress, 27 June 2008(in Portuguese).
- ^"Atlântico Weekly".7 February 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 17 May 2014.Retrieved7 May2017.
- ^"José Maria Neves passa testemunho ao novo Primeiro-ministro Ulisses Correia e Silva".A Nação(in Portuguese). 21 April 2016. Archived fromthe originalon 13 May 2016.Retrieved7 May2017.
- ^João Manuel Rocha, "Primeiro-ministro de Cabo Verde anuncia último mandato à frente do Governo"Publico(in Portuguese),12 March 2011
- ^"LeMonde".Le Monde.fr.18 October 2021.
Further reading
edit- Richard A. Lobban Jr et Paul Khalil Saucier, "José Maria Neves Pereira",Historical dictionary of the Republic of Cape Verde,Scarecrow Press, 2007, p. 167.ISBN978-0-8108-4906-8
External links
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