Nuno Afonso, the number two militant and Chega’s former vice president, resigned as a party official this Monday and indicated that he would continue to serve as an independent councilor in Sintra’s city council.
In a statement, Nuno Afonso, who was a member of the party’s National Directorate prior to this weekend’s congress, said he sent a letter “this morning” to Chega and its president announcing his “immediate withdrawal from the party.”
The founder of Chega stated in the same note that he will continue to serve as an independent councilor for the municipality of Sintra.
Nuno Afonso, who has been one of the most critical voices regarding Ventura’s strategy, said in an interview with the Observer on Friday (on the first day of the V National Assembly of Chega, in which Andre Ventura was re-elected president with 98.3% of the vote). votes) intention to withdraw from the party.
Público, he justified that “it is necessary to draw red lines in politics”, pointing out that Chega “is a non-democratic, autocratic, totalitarian party” and in which “the leader does whatever he wants”.
On November 23, the party announced the withdrawal of political confidence in the elected councilor of the city council of Sintra, indicating that Nuno Afonso would no longer represent Chega in this municipal executive.
Lisbon’s district political commission said at the time that the mayor did not respect political directions by making the municipal budget possible for 2023, arguing that “his sense of voice, despite the party’s guidelines and the strategy defined for the district” constituted “clear manifestations of party indiscipline.”
In response, Nuno Afonso considered that Chega “is a party that is not guided by democratic values, persecutes opponents personally and politically, as never before in a democracy”, pointing out that this is “typical behavior of existing and existing dictatorships.” they exist all over this world.”
Nuno Afonso, who co-founded Chega with André Ventura, was its chief of staff in the last legislature as the sole deputy of the party. He was reappointed at the start of the new legislature last March, but was exonerated nearly a month later.
The mayor of Sintra was also the vice-president of the party until the 3rd Chega Congress, which took place in Coimbra in May 2021. At the time, the leader admitted his dissatisfaction with the “fall” in the party hierarchy and spoke of “blows”.
In the last legislative elections, exactly a year ago, he was not included in the lists of candidates for deputies.
Nuno Afonso, who did not participate in the congress this weekend, even admitted that he ran for the post of head of Chega, but he never nominated or criticized the way delegates were elected to the main meeting, since all the delegates were on the lists of winners, ceasing to be elected by the d’Hondt method .
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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