The president of the regional government discounts the warning of the National Election Commission and states that he never called for voting

The President of the Government of Madeira this Monday downplayed the warning of the National Electoral Commission not to question the duties of neutrality and impartiality in connection with the regional elections, stressing that he never called for voting.

“In every election there are complaints like this,” Miguel Albuquerque told reporters before an election rally of the PSD/CDU-PP coalition in Machico.

The National Electoral Commission (CNE) published its decision this Monday in response to BE’s complaint, deciding to warn the President of the Government of Madeira to refrain from calling into question the duties of neutrality and impartiality towards the remaining candidates in the regional elections. .

In response to this decision, Miguel Albuquerque, who has headed the regional government of Madeira since 2015 and heads the list of the Somos Madeira coalition in Sunday’s legislative elections in Madeira, assured that there is a CNE circular stating that he is not prohibited from continuing to do his job in the executive branch, “until you call for a vote.”

“The CNE has a circular that I can continue to carry out government activities as long as I do not call for a vote, this circular is clear,” he stressed.

The CNE decision takes into account the complaint filed by BE with the commission on September 10 against the regional government president, finding that Miguel Albuquerque violated the “duty of neutrality and impartiality during the electoral campaign” while visiting the river canals. works in Funchal.

In a decision published today, the CNE “intends to warn the President of the Regional Government of Madeira to refrain in the future and until the end of the electoral process from making statements, taking positions or taking actions that directly or indirectly favor or prejudice the candidate to the detriment or benefit of others, or in any way prejudice questioning the fulfillment of the duties of neutrality and impartiality”, to which he is obliged according to the Electoral Law of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region. Madeira (LEALRAM).

On the first day of the election campaign, the President of the Regional Executive (PSD/CDS-PP) visited the already completed work on the regulation and drainage of the Trapiche and Casa Branca streams in the parish of Santo António.

The area was hit by a hurricane on 20 February 2010, which killed almost 50 people and caused property damage estimated at €1,080 million.

During the visit, Miguel Albuquerque emphasized the importance of the intervention, saying that he is “ready as always to continue the work” and be with the communities benefiting from these investments on “important days.”

According to media reporting on the regional government president’s initiative, Bloc Esquerda (BE) – also a candidate in the archipelago elections – said the visit “gave the right to crowds, speeches, food and drinks” and a statement that the work “will extended in the future.”

The party recalled that Madeira’s electoral law requires heads of state bodies and agents to observe “strict neutrality towards the various candidates and political parties” in the performance of their functions.

Madeira’s legislative assembly takes place on Sunday, with 13 candidates vying for 47 seats in the regional parliament in one constituency.

PTP, JPP, BE, PS, Chega, RIR, MPT, ADN, PSD/CDS-PP (Somos Madeira coalition), PAN, Livre, CDU (PCP/PEV) and IL are the political forces vying for the vote.

In the previous regional elections in 2019, the Social Democrats elected 21 deputies, losing for the first time the absolute majority they had held since 1976, and formed a coalition government with the SDS-NP (three deputies). The PS received 19 mandates, the AKP – three and the CDU – one.