Legislative election campaign begins

Campaigning for legislative elections in Cape Verde was set to begin on Thursday, the Portuguese news agency, Lusa, reported. The polls, which are to be held on 14 January, are the third for the legislature since Cape Verde adopted a multiparty system a decade ago. The ruling Movimento para a Democracia (MPD) will be defending its majority in parliament - it holds 50 of the 72 seats - against the main opposition party, the Partido Africano da Independencia de Cabo Verde (PAICV), two other parties and one coalition, Lusa said. The MPD suffered key losses in local elections 11 months ago. The PAICV, which led Cape Verde to independence from Portugal in 1975, is campaigning against the government’s economic policies.