President Jorge Carlos Fonseca of the Movimento para a Democracia (Movement for Democracy, MPD) has given an interview (in Portuguese) with a newspaper, Expresso da Ilhas, about the first 100 days of his cohabitation presidency. You can use Google Translate if you are interested.

In terms of quotes, he says that he is not going to be a president who “is intrusive”, but neither will he be a president who is “silent or absent”. He says that he has regular meetings with the PM, José Maria Neves of the Partido Africano da Independência de Cabo Verde (African Party of Independence of Cape Verde, PAICV).

What strikes me is that first 100 days has been exceptionally calm. I have been checking the Cape Verdean newspapers regularly and there has been no reports of any sort of problems between the president and the PM. In his interview, President Fonseca says, quite rightly, that 100 days is a very short time. However, given the president of Cape Verde is much more than a figurehead, it will be amazing if the rest of the five-year term passes so smoothly.

In that regard, one of the issues that may become a bone of contention is appointments. President Fonseca makes it clear that he has the constitutional right to reject the names of, for example, ambassadors that the government proposes for appointment.

Another interesting element relates to vetoes. The president is asked, twice, how many times he has used his veto power. To my knowledge, he has not used it at all and this seems to be confirmed in the interview. However, President Fonseca makes it clear that his advisers have contacted the prime minister’s advisers and representatives in the Assembly to let them know that the wording of particular bills should be altered. He implies that alterations have been made. That said, no specific example is given.