Africa-Press – Cape verde. Edson Ribeiro withdrew from the candidacy for the leadership of the UCID. The young man says that “the conditions are not created” for a “democratic and equal” dispute.
“Given this situation, it was not advisable to participate in a process in which, from the outset, the equality conditions of the candidates were met”, clarified Edson Ribeiro, quoted by Inforpress.
Even so, he guarantees that he will participate in the Congress of the Cape Verdean Independent and Democratic Union (UCID, opposition), scheduled for the 25th, 26th and 27th of this month, in Mindelo, São Vicente.
Regarding a possible democratic deficit within the UCID, Ribeiro avoids touching the subject, but went on to say that “it makes no sense to participate in a process to legitimize some aspects” that, from his point of view, “are not positive and, therefore, should be addressed”. improved”.
He assured that he was summoned, but his participation depends on the sending of tickets, which he is currently waiting for. Asked if this call will overturn the arguments of the still leader of the Christian Democrats, António Monteiro, who had been saying that he is not a militant of the UCID, Edson Ribeiro said yes.
“The position of the current leader of the UCID has basically been along this line [that he is not a party militant], but internally everyone knows my condition as a militant”, stressed Edson Ribeiro.
According to him, João Santos Luís himself, his former opponent in the race for leadership of this party, recognized, internally, that he is a militant of the UCID.
“This shows that I meet the conditions so that I could effectively apply”, he commented.
Radical change in party management
It should be remembered that Edson Ribeiro had “heavy support” from the former historical leader of the UCID, Lídio Silva. In this context, asked if his decision will not disappoint Silva’s expectations, he assures that it will not.
“My decision does not disappoint even Dr. Lídio Silva, nor to the expectations of other sympathizing militants who embraced my cause,” he argued. Lídio Silva, says, even knows that his withdrawal has to do with the lack of conditions for there to be a “true internal democratic dispute”.
“When I made the decision to apply, it became clear that it was also necessary to create the conditions for the process to move forward. We’ve been waiting all along for this to happen, but in the meantime, it hasn’t,” she pointed out.
Despite having given up the candidacy for the presidency of the UCID, he expressed his willingness to continue working towards the growth of this party, but, he underlined, “for this there must also be a radical change in the form of management of the party itself”.
“When I say a radical change in the way the party is managed, what do I mean by working on those that were one of the guidelines of the project I was leading, which is the issue of internal unity and, also, greater inclusion and internal democracy”, he argued.
For the university professor, his candidacy project contemplated the penetration of the UCID in all corners of the country and positioning it as a “true party of national scope”.
“My collaboration with the party will always be at the mercy of the conditions that will be created and, obviously, of the type of leadership that will be exercised”, he admitted, concluding that the UCID, by its nature, “must always serve the cabo- Verdeans and not just a group”.
Edson Ribeiro announced his candidacy in December 2021, and, as he confessed, since then there has been “interference from some elements of the current party leadership in a clear attempt to condition and exclude the project he led”.
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