MpD remembers Carlos Veiga as a “driving figure” behind state reforms and for his determination to combat poverty
The Movement for Democracy (MpD, in power) today paid tribute to Carlos Veiga, prime minister elected at the opening of universal suffrage on 13 January 1991, for the “political vision” that positioned the country on the path to development.
“May the legacy of January 13 inspire future generations to continue building a free, fair and prosperous Cape Verde with freedom and democracy” , he wished, noting that the date symbolizes democratic rebirth and the day when the people decided to open a new chapter in political history.
According to deputy Euclides Silva, Carlos Alberto de Carvalho Veiga, elected in 1991 as head of the MpD, led the country to democratic victory, achieving a “historic feat” by electing 56 of the 79 deputies and writing his name as the first democratically elected prime minister.
As he considered, Carlos Veiga was the “ driving force” behind the reforms that repositioned Cape Verde on the path of development, strengthening tourism, major works and infrastructure, promoting autonomous local power and valuing the diaspora.
His determination to combat poverty and create “ opportunities for all Cape Verdeans ” laid the foundations, he stressed, for the progress and level of development that the country has achieved today.
“In celebrating freedom and democracy, let us pay a fair and deserved tribute to Carlos Veiga and to all those who with courage, vision and determination paved the way for the Cape Verde we know today ”, he reiterated, recalling Carlos Veiga’s patriotism and the peaceful struggles for the implementation of the democratic rule of law.
He said that in times of threat to democracy and the rise of anti-democratic movements, it is essential to remember the figure of Carlos Veiga, ensuring that these values are respected and all citizens have the equal right to actively participate in the political and social life of the country, “ without conditions or constraints ”.
“May the legacy of January 13 inspire future generations to continue building a free, fair and prosperous Cape Verde with freedom and democracy” , he wished, noting that the date symbolizes democratic rebirth and the day when the people decided to open a new chapter in political history.
The president of the PAICV parliamentary group, João Baptista Pereira, considered, in turn, that the date invites reflection on the fact that ideas are being delegated to other plans.
The abstention rate of 50% in the last local elections held in December, compared to 24.73% in 1991, shows the opposition that the elected governments are not solving the population's problems.
“ It seems that things are not happening in line with what was planned in 1991 when the public opening was held, Cape Verdeans went to the polls and believed that they could elect governments in tune with the concerns of Cape Verdeans ”, he declared.
The 175,000 Cape Verdeans who chose “not to vote” in the 2024 local elections question “to what extent” democracy is serving Cape Verdeans, the deputy highlighted.
In turn, the deputy and president of the Independent and Democratic Cape Verdean Union (UCID, opposition), João Santo Luís, said that the MpD statement “ disregards” everything that happened before February 19, when article four of the Constitution of the Republic was revoked.
In the view of the bench, the challenges facing democracy today “have nothing to do” with the 90s, and Cape Verde should “ think and plan” the future “without belittling the past” .
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