01/08/07 - Cape Verde has highest level of political freedom in sub-Saharan Africa PDF Print E-mail
Cape Verde Highest Political FreedomCape Verde is considered the freest country in sub-Saharan Africa in terms of political rights and civil liberties, according to an annual report from Freedom House, a United States-based organization that monitors freedom around the world.  According to the Freedom House report, in the categories of political rights and civil liberties, Cape Verde once again emerges as the only African country with the highest possible rating (1.0), part of the group of countries in the world considered to be entirely free in these areas.

According to Freedom House’s requisites, a free country is one in which there is “space for open political debate and for political competition, a climate of respect for civil liberties, a significantly independent civic life and a free media.”

Cape Verde comes in ahead of Ghana and Mauritius, which were both classified with the same rating in the two categories in question (1.0 for political rights and 2.0 for civil liberties).

In the chapter on freedom of the press, Freedom House also included Cape Verde on its list of free countries, giving it 29 points. Cape Verde appears in fifth place among African countries in this category, which is led by Mali, with 24 points, and Ghana, Mauritius and South Africa.

The Freedom House report also includes a graph showing the evolution of freedom in each of the countries. Cape Verde showed an abrupt increase in the ranking, according to the institution’s data, beginning in 1990, when the country’s political opening occurred, which gave way the next year to its first multi-party elections.

Cape Verde was classified as Africa’s freest country in 2006 as well.

 

Source: A Semana
 
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