PS activist and President of Parliament Augusto Santos Silva said this Saturday that the President of the Republic “is not the target” of the Socialists in the campaign for the legislative elections, saying that “the enemy is the Democratic Alliance.”
Speaking to journalists at the Lisbon International Fair (FIL), where the 24th National Congress of the PS is taking place, Santos Silva was asked whether the President of the Republic was “targeted” by the Socialists, taking into account the statements made this Saturday by the party’s president, Carlos César, who accused Marcelo of that he didn’t do what he should have done after Antonio Costa was sacked.
“No, neither a goal nor an object. The President of the Republic is at a non-partisan level, he is an institution, the president of us all,” replied Augusto Santos Silva.
When asked whether there were disagreements with the President of the Republic in the Congress, Santos Silva replied that the differences were expressed in “the decision to dissolve the parliament, which plunged the country into a political crisis” and that, from the point of view of the socialists, this was unnecessary.
Asked whether he thought the PS would be tempted to criticize the decision during the election campaign, Santos Silva replied: “The opponent of the PS is the Democratic Alliance (AD), and the opponent of the AD is the PS.” .
“We are campaigning to determine the composition of the next government of Portugal and everyone knows that there are only two possibilities: either a government led by the PS or the PSD,” he said.
Santos Silva considered that the decision of the President of the Republic to dissolve parliament “is water under the bridge”, and the socialists had the opportunity to say: “We own the bodies”, their opinion on this matter.
“The State Council was not in favor of dissolution. The President of the Republic understood the solution that seemed to him to be the best, with complete legitimacy. This is a decision with which we do not agree, but it is now a matter of the past,” he said.
According to Santos Silva, “the fact is that elections are scheduled for March 10,” in which “various political forces will compete.”
“From our point of view, the country’s stability, governance, social progress in Portugal strongly recommend a landslide victory for the PS,” he said.
Asked if he believed António Costa might now be more ready to stand in the presidential election, Santos Silva replied: “Dr António Costa is now practically deprived of all his rights” pending the outcome of the judicial investigation.
“Until this investigation is completed, it is impossible to answer any questions about the political future of António Costa. I am firmly convinced that António Costa will be rehabilitated because he did nothing to criticize him,” he said.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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