Pedro Verona Pires modtog mandag Mo Ibrahim-prisen, der støtter ‘good governance and great leadership in Africa’. Pires, der samtidig modtog 27 millioner DKK, blev udvalgt på baggrund af sit arbejde for demokrati i den lille østat. Det skriver Al Jazeera English mandag.
– Throughout his long career, President Pires has been dedicated to the service of his people, including those in the diaspora, while retaining his humility and personal dignity, the award committee said in a statement on Monday.
Organisers of the world’s biggest individual prize, established in 2006 by Sudanese telecoms tycoon Mo Ibrahim to improve the quality of African governments, also praised Pires for his decision this year not to run for office again after the expiry of his second term.
– [Pires] is a wonderful man, Mo Ibrahim, the chair of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, told Al Jazeera, adding:
– He participated in the liberation struggle for his country. It got its independence, and he was in government. He was prime minister. What [his government] did was introduce multi-party democracy. It didn’t say ‘we are the liberation movement, we own the country’ as many movements unfortunately do in Africa.
Pires also “managed to take the country out of poverty,” Ibrahim said to Al Jazeera English.
