Africa-Press – Cape verde. The PAICV (opposition) councilors in the São Vicente Municipal Chamber stated today that a single day of festivities on Rua de Lisboa “is more than enough to celebrate resilience.”
This position was expressed by António Duarte, who spoke at a press conference alongside the other councilors from the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV).
The conference was held in front of the Oeiras Norte sports complex in Chã de Alecrim, a project that has been included in successive São Vicente City Hall budgets for over 15 years. According to these councilors, this “is a clear demonstration of the lack of vision, transparency, and prioritization” of projects for São Vicente.
“We had municipalities that stopped holding their festivities, namely the summer festivals, and financially supported São Vicente. We understand that we have to celebrate resilience, but five days seems excessive and completely disproportionate. A single New Year’s Eve celebration is perfectly sufficient to celebrate our resilience,” said the spokesperson for the PAICV councilors.
According to the same source, the PAICV is not against the festivities and argues that celebrations should be proportionate to what the island needs at this moment.
Furthermore, he recalled that São Vicente has a number of issues that need to be overcome, notably damaged infrastructure, drainage and sewage networks, and the entire basic sanitation structure, which “has been completely compromised.”
“Part of that money could be used precisely to prioritize these issues,” he suggested, adding that these festivities constitute a “decision of great logistical, financial and social impact,” announced “on a political stage, without the slightest elegance of being communicated, discussed or considered in a council session, the proper and democratic forum for such matters.”
“It is a gross disrespect to the municipal bodies, to the councilors and, above all, to the population of São Vicente. A disrespect to the post-storm recovery context we are experiencing and to the real priorities that the island needs,” he affirmed.
According to António Duarte, the PAICV councilors “distance themselves from the irrationality and disproportionality of this event.”
They consider it “totally inappropriate, inadequate, disproportionate and inopportune” to announce five days of festivities to celebrate, when the island “is still facing several difficulties.”
When questioned about the amount of money allocated to these festivities, the same source said that he “has no idea and probably never will,” because “the mayor [Augusto Neves] has a habit of keeping the costs of these festivities a closely guarded secret.”
Regarding the mayor’s justification that “the financing of these festivities does not come from municipal coffers,” but rather through companies and businessmen, Antonio Duarte responded:
“That’s the old tactic of the mayor, with his old friends whom he insistently mentions when he wants to justify the announcement of the festivities,” he concluded.
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