[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 15399-15400]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   CAPE VERDEAN EX-PRESIDENT PIRES IS PRAISED FOR HIS LEADERSHIP ROLE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BARNEY FRANK

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 12, 2011

  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, last week, on the death of 
former Cape Verdean President Aristides Periera, I noted the great 
achievement of that country in showing the world that a nation winning 
its independence in the post-World War II period can progress 
economically while fully respecting democratic norms. Earlier this 
week, that extremely admirable record was recognized as well by the Mo 
Ibrahim Foundation as they awarded the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in 
African Leadership to Pedro de Verona Rodrigues Pires, the recently 
retired President of Cape Verde. President Pires was elected to two 
terms as President and was one of those responsible for the great 
record of economic development a record recognized by both the Bush and 
Obama administrations in their strong support for Cape Verde's 
participation in our Millennium Challenge program. President Pires' 
popularity and record of success was such that some urged him to 
support a constitutional amendment so he could run for a third term, 
but he refused to do that, demonstrating a strong commitment to both 
the spirit and the letter of democracy.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the people of Cape Verde for the example 
they set so much of the world in combining economic progress and 
democratic commitment, and I am glad to once again express to President 
Pires, whom I had the privilege of meeting in Brockton, Massachusetts 
last summer, my great admiration and respect for his work.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that the article from the New York Times about 
Pedro Pires winning the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African 
Leadership be printed here, because the example set by President Pires 
and by the people of Cape Verde is one that deserves to be chronicled 
widely, and, I hope, followed.

                [From the New York Times, Oct. 10, 2011]

         Ex-President of Cape Verde Wins Good-Government Prize

                           (By Adam Nossiter)

       Monrovia, Liberia.--Pedro de Verona Rodrigues Pires, the 
     former president of Cape Verde, the desertlike archipelago 
     about 300 miles off the coast of West Africa, has won one of 
     the world's major prizes, the $5 million Ibrahim Prize for 
     Achievement in African Leadership.
       The record of governing in Africa has been poor enough 
     lately that the Mo Ibrahim Foundation decided not to award 
     the prize for the past two years. In many African countries, 
     leaders have refused to leave office after losing elections, 
     tried to alter constitutions to ensure their continued tenure 
     or gone back on pledges not to run for re-election.
       But on Monday the foundation of Mr. Ibrahim, a Sudan-born 
     telecommunications mogul whose goal is to promote good 
     government in Africa, announced it had picked Mr. Pires of 
     Cape Verde, a sparsely populated former Portuguese colony of 
     500,000 people, mostly of mixed Portuguese-African descent. 
     The islands are a perennial exception to the many low 
     rankings that international organizations, including Mr. 
     Ibrahim's, give to nations on the continent for human rights 
     and governing.
       Mr. Pires served two terms--10 years--as president until 
     stepping down last month. During that period, the foundation 
     noted, Cape Verde became only the second African nation to 
     move up from the United Nations' ``least developed'' 
     category. The foundation says the prize is given only to a 
     democratically elected president who has stayed ``within the 
     limits set by the county's constitution, has left office in 
     the last three years and has demonstrated excellence in 
     office.''
       Mr. Pires resisted suggestions that his country's 
     Constitution could be changed to allow him to run again, a 
     further point in his favor, the foundation said. In addition 
     to the $5 million award paid over 10 years, the winner 
     receives $200,000 annually for life thereafter.
       ``It is wonderful to see an African leader who has served 
     his country from the time of colonial rule through to 
     multiparty democracy, all the time retaining the interests of 
     his people as his guiding principle,'' Mr. Ibrahim said in a 
     statement. ``The fact that Cape Verde with few natural 
     resources can become a middle-income country is an example 
     not just to the continent but to the world.''
       Mr. Ibrahim publishes an index scoring African countries on 
     how they govern, and this year the index noted significant 
     improvements in Liberia and Sierra Leone, while nonetheless 
     finding an ``unchanged continental average'' in ``overall 
     governance quality.''

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