The President of the Government reiterated today that the Azorean People should assign a clear democratic mandate in the context of the 2016 regional elections, allowing political parties to begin the process of great relevance to develop Regional Autonomy.

"It is essential to have the clear democratic mandate of the Azorean People to start this process of major political importance. This clear mandate should be assigned in the context of the next regional elections in 2016," said Vasco Cordeiro during a speech he delivered at the Legislative Assembly in Horta.

During the parliamentary debate on this matter, the President of the Government stressed that "force of will and the voice of the People" will grant the Region the political legitimacy in its relations with external entities.

"Firstly, this matter should be discussed internally at the Legislative Assembly and also within our Autonomy. The development of this process should not be hastened," Vasco Cordeiro defended, adding that "this year's legislative elections should not cause constraints or shape what the Azoreans consider that must be done."

Vasco Cordeiro stressed that the speech he delivered on the Day of the Region in May this year was clear in the purposes of this process: strengthening the political nature of Autonomy, building solutions to bring elected politicians closer to voters, creating solutions for a better exercise of democratic rights and duties, and promoting a more efficient organisation of the islands.

In this context, the President of the Government mentioned the possibility of independent candidates and open lists in the elections for the Regional Legislative Assembly, the possibility to reform the nature and powers of the Island Councils by assigning them executive powers, and the possibility of removing the position of Representative of the National Government.

"This process and these proposals did not start with the speech delivered on May 25.In fact, they started with the speech delivered in 2014 at the ceremony of the Day of the Region in Nordeste, where I had the opportunity to highlight that the mission of Autonomy is not just limited to providing welfare and material progress to the Azores, as important as it may seem be," stated the President of the Government.

For Vasco Cordeiro, "Autonomy is something deeper and it should take up its role in the creation of conditions for a better exercise of Democracy."

In his speech, the President of the Government also added that the process to develop Autonomy follows the last revision of the Political and Administrative Statute of the Azores. There was a radical change in the nature of this Statute, which changed from an organisational chart of the Regional Administration to a document with a strong political component.