The President of the National Parliament of Timor on Tuesday praised the decisive role of April 25 in strengthening the freedom and independence of the former overseas provinces, which led to huge changes in Portugal and in new countries.
“The Carnation Revolution marks freedom and democracy in Portugal and the decolonization of the colonies, which were then called overseas provinces,” Guterres Lopes told Aniceto at the ceremonial meeting dedicated to the accession of Timor-Leste to the Human Brotherhood for World Peace and Common Life document. .
“The Carnation Revolution to the sounds of the Grandola-Vila Morena march combines revolutionary political will with brotherly spirit, creating great changes for Portugal and the overseas provinces, leading to freedom and independence,” he said.
Aniceto Guterres Lopes said it was a “happy coincidence” that April 25 coincides with the campaign period for legislative elections and the first anniversary in Dili of Timor-Leste’s accession to the Human Brotherhood for World Peace and Common Life, known as the Abu Declaration -Dabi, signed in 2019 by Pope Francis and Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyib.
It is a coincidence, he says, that “emphasizes brotherhood, justice and the will to improve lives for all”, a spirit that he says “should be consolidated in the democratic process now and in the future”.
“Politics without brotherhood, democracy without brotherhood, nation building without brotherhood, coexistence without brotherhood ignores or oppresses people. Management or development should put people at the center of management,” he said.
Speaking at the table on this occasion, the President of the Republic, José Ramos-Horta, also referred to April 25, remembering “the young Portuguese officers, exhausted and angry, who overthrew the Salazarist dictatorship.”
“While we were listening to Zeca, Grandola Vila Morena, we heard about Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho, about the captains of April, about Mario Soares and Alvaro Cunal and other great men and women who, without violence, without executions, without special courts, established foundations of today’s Portugal, tolerant, modern, democratic and prestigious,” he said.
Ramos-Horta also wanted to remember other figures who “caused the fall of the Salazar regime: Amilcar Cabral, Aristides Pereira, Pedro Pires, Agostinho Neto, Mondlane and Zamora Machel, Joaquim Chissano.”
“In Timor-Leste, we remember the great figure of the House of Boaventura, the leaders of the 1959 uprising, to whom we express our deepest respect. They were all pioneers of the anti-colonial struggle and their sacrifices led to the carnation revolution,” he said. .
Timorese Cardinal Virgilio do Carmo da Silva also recalled that the deputies “are propagandists and educators of brotherhood” and “the voice of the Timorese population”, urging them to listen to the requests of the people.
“You are representatives of the people, you are an extension of the mouths and ears of your Timorese brothers and sisters. Those who speak, first of all, must be able to listen, and we must listen to the cries of the poor and marginalized, those who cry in remote areas of the country, pray for a decent life, defend their rights and, most importantly, ask to be considered sons and daughters this land,” he said.
“A thousand steps begins with the first step. We are taking our first step, from our speech, to human brotherhood, a decisive beginning for the future of this country. The path is long, but we are not walking alone, we are counting on God’s protection and mutual support of the Timorese,” he stressed.
Timor-Leste’s top leader of the Catholic Church recalled the “noble task of working tirelessly for a more fraternal and supportive world”, emphasizing dialogue and mutual listening.
In his speech, Ramos-Horta also referred to another moment this Tuesday, a memorial day known as Anzac Day, originally celebrated in honor of members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli in World War I. .
The date is now a day of remembrance for all those who “served and died in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations” and Ramos-Horta took part in the ceremony, which took place on Tuesday at the Cristo Rei enclosure in Dili at dawn . .
“I paid tribute to the martyrs from Australia and New Zealand who died on Timorese soil,” he said.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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