António Mascarenhas Monteiro

António Manuel Mascarenhas Gomes Monteiro (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐ̃ˈtɔniu mɐnuˈɛl mɐʃkɐˈɾeɲɐʒ ˈɡomɨʒ mõˈtejɾu]; 16 February 1944 – 16 September 2016) was the first democratically elected President of Cape Verde from 22 March 1991 to 22 March 2001.

== Early life and education ==

Born in Ribeira da Barca in 1944, Monteiro went to university in Belgium and graduated with his law degree from the Catholic University of Leuven.

== Political career ==

During the PAICV's single-party government, Monteiro served in various high level positions. He was the Secretary-General of the National Assembly from 1977 to 1980 and President of the Supreme Court of Justice from 1980 to 1990.

=== Presidency of Cape Verde ===

Supported by the Movement for Democracy (with which he had no affiliation), he was the first president elected in a multi-party election in the country, defeating Aristides Pereira in the February 1991 presidential election.

In February 1995, he awarded one of the archipelago's greatest writer during the colonial era Eugénio Tavares the Medal of the Ordem do Vulcão.

He was re-elected without opposition in 1996, receiving 80% of the vote. After serving two five year terms, he stepped...