The outgoing President of the Government of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque (PSD), confirmed this Wednesday that there is no justification for early elections in the region, given that there is a “framework of parliamentary stability” that allows the continuation of the executive branch.
“In the current framework, we convey our position to the President of the Republic. Firstly, it must be said that at the moment in Madeira there is a basis of parliamentary stability that allows the continuation of the government,” said Miguel Albuquerque, emphasizing that regional elections took place in September 2023 and that “this confidence was confirmed in the national elections in legislative bodies” on March 10.
The leader of the executive branch of the PSD/SDS, currently in leadership, spoke to journalists after an audience with the President of the Republic.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa received this Wednesday at the Belem Palace in Lisbon the parties represented in the Parliament of Madeira, in connection with the political crisis in the archipelago caused by the dismissal of Albuquerque, who was named as a defendant in January in a process in which suspicions of corruption in the region are being investigated .
SDP was the last, after PS.
Asked about the statement by PS/Madeira leader Paulo Cafofo that Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa intends to dissolve the Madeira parliament and call early regional elections for May 26, Miguel Albuquerque stressed that at the moment this is just a “hypothesis” and that this is a decision will be adopted only after hearing the Council of State at the end of the day.
“Whatever the decision, our opinion and what we conveyed to the President of the Republic is that the current majority has been ratified in the last six months,” he said.
In addition, Miguel Albuquerque recalled that the leader of PAN/Madeira, the party that signed a parliamentary agreement with the Social Democrats to guarantee the regional executive of the PSD/SDS-PP an absolute majority, has already committed to making a Government Program and the regional budget if there will be no early elections.
However, the PSD/Madeira leader assured that the party “is not afraid of new elections” if that is the decision of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
“We are a party that has never had difficulty in being heard and, above all, in gaining the approval of the votes of our population. Thus, both hypotheses are in balance,” he said.
When asked about his status as an accused, Miguel Albuquerque said that this status should be “a benefit for those under investigation” and that anyone in this position “should not leave political positions.”
“You don’t have to resign from political positions. You should have, like any citizen in a European state governed by the rule of law, access to the process and explanations. This idea, especially now when anonymous complaints from other parties are used to drag politicians down, is incompatible with a democratic regime,” he stressed.
After the regional legislative assemblies on September 24, 2023, in which the SDP/SDS coalition was defeated due to an absolute majority in the Legislative Assembly, the Social Democrats signed an agreement with the only MP of the MHP.
However, when news of the court case in which Albuquerque was accused became known, the party withdrew his political credibility.
After completing meetings with nine parties – PSD, CDS-PP, PS, JPP, Chega, HDZ, IL, PAN and BE – Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will meet at 18:00 with the Council of State, the political body, for consultations. with the head of state.
If the president decides not to dissolve the regional parliament, the representative of the Republic, Ireneu Barreto, will appoint, as announced in February, “the president and other members of the new regional government.”
The head of state restored the right to dissolve the archipelago’s parliament this week, six months after regional elections were held.
On Monday, Miguel Albuquerque reiterated that there is no justification for early legislative elections in Madeira and announced that negotiations are in the final stages to assure Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa that the absolute majority formed by the PSD and CDS-PP will remain and the Parliamentary PAN support.
On the same day, PAN’s sole deputy, Mónica Freitas, refused to enter into any formal agreement with the PSD, but admitted that she was prepared to make the regional government’s program and budget viable if elections did not take place. The party previously said it would only maintain the understanding if Albuquerque stepped down as executive president.
Madeira’s opposition defended early elections.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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