African Czech in the race for the European Parliament

The South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic is a very traditional region of wine and farming and Christian Democrats and conservative values. But it doesn’t mean it can not be multicultural. It has an “African Czech” (analogy to African American) candidate for the 2009 European Parliament Elections, the Breclavsky denik daily writes. Meet Raymond Asuquo.

(c) The Breclavsky denik Daily

This Nigerian-born businessman has lived in the South Moravian town of Breclav for eleven years. He considers his running for this office as a way to pay back to a country that “enabled him to study”.

“I had the opportunity to study and to find a new home in the Czech Republic, so this would be my way to say thank you. Plus, the EU-level politics is an interesting challenge,” Asuquo told the daily. He is number 25 on the Civic Democrat slate in the region (i.e. the bottom half of the ballot).

He told the daily that it does not mean he is only filling the void. It will all depend on preferential votes from people. The candidate is fluent in Czech, English, German, Dutch and three Nigerian tribal languages.

Alright, I am SO gonna vote for this man. Something tells me that he knows life. He has global experience and he will be a noble representative in the European Parliament. Many other Czech politicians run for the EP because they are given the chance as a “reward” from their parties, or because they had to leave other offices. And something tells me he will be able to combine the “obligation” to represent the interests of the Czech Republic and the “One Europe” ideas… especially, since he is not a career politician.

There are 24 Czech MEP’s in Brussels and at least 13 of them have had previous experience in top politics (Parliament, Senate, advisers to MP’s…). Sure, they are more experienced than Asuquo but it does not mean they are better representatives of “ordinary people”.

To be updated on Sunday…