Cape Verde presidential hopefuls in televised debate

BISSAU (AFP) - Cape Verde's citizens said Thursday that the country's presidential candidates in a televised debate ahead of this weekend's election failed to address unemployment and the economic crisis.

The ruling party's Manuel Inocencio Sousa and main opposition candidate Jorge Carlos Fonseca faced off for an hour-and-a-half during the debate on Wednesday night, according to an AFP journalist following the broadcast in nearby Guinea-Bissau, also a former Portuguese colony.

Sousa, the current infrastructure minister who is defending the ruling party's hold on power, said he would "put in place development projects..." if he were elected.

His rival Fonseca from the main opposition Movement for Democracy, who won the first round of voting with 37 percent, said he would be a "stabilising factor" and was a candidate who was above party politics.

During campaigning he presented himself as "the president of all Cape Verdeans."

Cape Verdeans reached by phone from Bissau said the candidates had failed to address key issues.

Taxi driver from the Cape Verde capital Praia, Filipe Borges, decried the fact that the candidates had not addressed "the glaring lack of employment" which the opposition puts at 18 percent, and is one of the biggest problems faced by the country.

Restaurant owner Joana Morgado said the global economic crisis had hit the tourism-dependent islands hard.

"Many restaurants are going to close their doors as the tourism season was below expectations. Cape Verdeans no longer have money to go to restaurants."

Lauded for its stable democracy and peaceful elections, Cape Verde has experienced impressive growth rates but remains vulnerable and highly dependent on international aid.

Unemployment has sent more of its nationals into the diaspora (700,000) than live at home (500,000).