IL President Rui Rocha assured that the Liberals are not intimidated and reject any consequences of presenting the electoral program to the legislature this Saturday, despite the contradiction of the CNE proposing the cancellation of the day of reflection.
Rui Rocha spoke to journalists at the arrival of the presentation of the party’s electoral program for the March 10 legislative elections at the Lisbon Capitol, an event that was at the center of controversy after the National Electoral Commission (CNE) responded to the Lusa news agency, deeming it “propaganda prohibited by law ”, as it takes place on a day of reflection for the regions of the Azores.
“We are not afraid of any consequences because we made the request for the conclusion to the CNE. This request for detention was clear in the sense that this type of activity was possible as long as it did not take place on the territory of the Azores. and therefore this is the only official decision that we know of,” he said.
According to the IL President, the party only learned about this discussion through the media, ensuring that there was no notice of the ban and that “what is important is the protocol that records that this action is permissible.”
“It is true that today there are other parties across the continent with party initiatives. We are very calm and never allow ourselves to be intimidated,” he stressed.
Rui Rocha also added that one of the measures included in the election program is the abolition of the day of reflection.
“In a year when the fiftieth anniversary of April 25 is celebrated and when such anachronistic things as days of reflection and these attempts to limit our political freedom and self-expression should make us reflect on the path we should take now, in this fiftieth year. anniversary,” he thought.
According to the IL leader, this presentation of the program is “a manifestation of individual freedom, political freedom and freedom of the press.”
“I want to thank everyone who did not allow themselves to be intimidated and say that, despite everything, the most important thing is our proposals and our solutions for Portugal, and this is what we are focused on: our program, the transformation of Portugal and on bringing more freedom for Portugal,” he said, noting that today there are other parties on the continent with party initiatives.
The program presented, according to Rui Rocha, is intended for the legislature and “there is no intention to condition the vote in the Azores, there is no intention to present proposals that are part of the autonomy of the Azores.”
“We can only understand this as an attempt to condition or limit the interpretation of rights, freedoms, guarantees and political rights that we cannot accept,” he said regarding the CNE’s response to the Lusa agency.
After these statements, already in the Capitol, the leader of IL decided to begin his intervention by resolving this contradiction.
“In 2021, they didn’t want us to celebrate April 25 and walk along Avenida da Liberdade, but we walked along Avenida da Liberdade, because freedom has no masters. And then they didn’t want us to hold our festival, and we held the festival, because freedom has no masters. And today [este sábado] They did not want us here to present IL’s election platform for the 2024 legislative elections and we are here because freedom has no owners and democracy is not suspended,” he said, receiving loud applause from the audience.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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