By Asemana
Africa-Press – Cape verde. AFTER THE RESOLUTION IN THE AN BY THE MpD: PETITION FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE CENTENNIAL OF THE BIRTH OF AMÍLCAR CABRAL
After the recent submission by the MpD bench of the resolution on the celebration of the birth of Amílcar Cabral, a Petition is being circulated ( chang.org/p/pet ) with a view to the celebration, with the dignity and official involvement of the State of Cape Verde , on the centenary of Cabral’s birth. Addressed to the National Assembly, at the time this piece was published, the document already had more than 700 subscribers, with Ângela Coutinho as the first signer. « Approve with your signature, the official celebration in Cape Verde of the centenary of the national hero Amilcar Cabral », appeal the promoters of the aforementioned petition, which we publish below.
Amílcar Cabral was recognized as the first Cape Verdean who set up a concrete political project with a view to the independence of the archipelago, dreamed of by some poets of previous generations, a dream that was always considered unattainable.
The main objective of his political project was achieved.
A man of strong convictions, since the beginning of his full political life, his ideas and projects for the post-independence period were the target of criticism, including from some members of the party he founded. A careful reading of various sources from the time and testimonies that have been given to print reveals these controversies, and also the attitude of Cabral himself, who was available to openly debate all points of contention in his proposals and political readings, both with members of his party as well as nationalists who led other independence parties.
Almost 50 years after the proclamation of the independence of the Cape Verde archipelago, constituting the nation in a state that became part of the concert of nations, we, the undersigned, affirm with conviction that the overwhelming majority of Cape Verdeans born in the country or in the diaspora, of more remote or more recent Cape Verdean origin, recognize in the figure of Amílcar Cabral the main actor of the independence movement and the strategist of the successful project to achieve Cape Verde’s independence.
Regardless of whether or not they see themselves in the projects he defended for the post-independence archipelago, the majority of Cape Verdeans recognize his genius, total dedication and the effort made to obtain national independence, which, also in the opinion of the overwhelming majority of Cape Verde nationals, has made it possible to considerably improve the lives of the population on the islands, in many aspects.
It is worth mentioning here the words of the current UN Secretary General, António Guterres, who reminded us that the great African and international hero, Nelson Mandela, publicly stated: “They say I am the greatest, but no, the greatest is Cabral” . We have named just two highly regarded figures in the international political arena, not to mention also several highly recognized intellectuals and artists, businesspeople and personalities from other sectors, from many countries and from the most diverse political lines, who have publicly paid homage to Cabral over time.
In democratic respect for the will of the majority and taking into account the fact that a very significant part of national citizens, whether resident or abroad, are not affiliated or active in any political party, we hereby DECLARE the following:
We do not review the decision taken by the plenary of the National Assembly, meeting on October 30, 2023, to discuss a proposed resolution regarding the celebrations of the centenary of the birth of Amílcar Cabral during the year 2024, in Cape Verdean territory; nor did we review the way in which the issue was debated, which we reject and repudiate.
We further declare and hereby recall the fact that the National Assembly or Parliament of the Republic of Cape Verde is not an assembly of political parties, but rather an assembly of citizens who represent the Nation, citizens organized into political parties;
We therefore allow ourselves to remind our fellow citizens who assume a mandate as deputies of the Nation in the current legislature that their fees, various subsidies and the operating expenses of the place where they work are entirely financed with public funds, therefore paid, above all, , by Cape Verdean taxpayers, through direct and indirect taxes.
Bearing in mind all of the above, we hereby request the National Assembly of the Republic of Cape Verde to decide the following:
1. The appointment of a National Commission for the celebrations of the centenary of the birth of Amílcar Cabral , made up of personalities from civil society, residing in the country and in the diaspora, from different generations and of both genders, and which is in charge of conducting a commemorative program in the country and with communities in the diaspora;
2. The allocation of funds to this Commemorative Commission , to support the various projects that are already being prepared by Cape Verdean civil society in the country and in countries where Cape Verdean communities reside;
3. The free provision of all cultural, sporting facilities, and other meeting and social spaces managed by the state of Cape Verde (government and local authorities), including the work of the “staff” and the use of purchased materials, to these civil society organizations so that they can carry out their programs to commemorate the centenary of the birth of Amílcar Cabral. The management of the arrangements for providing these spaces and their monitoring will also be the responsibility of the Commemorative Committee;
4. Media coverage of these commemorative activities by public media outlets (national radio, television), free of charge;
5. The organization of a national ceremony, with all due pomp and circumstance, that is, at the highest level, to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Amílcar Cabral in September 2024 . This ceremony must be assumed by the highest responsible bodies of the state of Cape Verde, and for its implementation an Organizing Committee and an Honor Committee must be appointed, made up of competent professionals, in the first case, and national and foreign personalities of recognized prestige;
6. The timely allocation of sufficient public funds to all committees to carry out their missions .
Without further ado, we subscribe.
The undersigned,
(Another 700 people signed the document until after 4pm this Sunday)
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