Former Cape Verdean Prime Minister Jose Maria Neves was elected Sunday as President of his country in the first round, with 51.7 percent of the votes, according to preliminary figures.

In his first statement to the press, Jose Maria Neves guaranteed that he would be the president of all Cape Verdeans in this mission, which he said he would assume with “humility, serenity and responsibility”.

“I receive this victory with great humility, which has always characterized me, and I take responsibility for my mission to serve Cape Verde,” he said, adding that it was “a great victory” for the Cape Verdean people.

Jose Maria Neves, who was supported by the African Independence Party of Cape Verde (PAICV, opposition), assured that he would be an impartial arbitrator, a monitor of government action, a resolver of conflicts and a president who will work with the government and with local authorities and the whole of Cape Verdean society to address the challenges facing the country.