Polls open in Cape Verde in race with first female presidential candidate

Voters have begun casting their ballots in Cape Verde, where President Jose Maria Neves is facing off against the West African island nation’s first female presidential candidate, Joana Rosa, in a vote hinging on slowing down persistent emigration. More than 300,000 people are eligible to vote on Sunday from 8am to 6pm (09:00 GMT to 19:00 GMT) and will choose from six presidential candidates in a country known for its stability in the politically volatile region. Neves, a member of the country’s oldest political party, the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), is tipped to be the favourite but faces his strongest challenger in Rosa of the Movement for Democracy party.