Kafofo accuses the regional government of harassing and manipulating government officials

The head of the PS list for the legislative elections in Madeira, Paulo Cafofo, said this Thursday that the regional public administration represents a “political game,” saying that people are being persecuted and manipulated “as if they were employees of the PSD.”

“This public administration has served as a political plaything because these people are blackmailed, many are persecuted, many are manipulated as if they were employees of the PSD. This is not the case,” Paulo Cafofo told reporters in front of the regional government building. Madeira Building (PSD/CDS-PP).

The Socialist added that public servants should not be treated in this way, ensuring that similar situations will not happen to him at the head of the Madeira Executive.

“I don’t want to know and I don’t even care what the affiliation of a government employee is. He has the right to be a member of any party, I am interested in him being competent and able to perform his duties well. “, he strengthened.

Accompanied by a delegation of dozens of people who came to the “doors” of the regional government of Madeira, led by the PSD for 48 years, the PS candidate for the elections of the 26th emphasized that the party intends to value careers, with accelerated progression and the appointment of an island allowance of 5 % to all employees of the regional administration.

Asked about the fact that the civil servants’ strike planned for Friday does not apply to workers in the autonomous region and the regional trade union delegation is justifying the fact that the Madeira government is in control, Paulo Cafofo said that Madeira “has been imprisoned, and you can even see it.” in trade unions.”

“The fact that the regional government is in power does not mean that the trade union is in control. On the contrary, the struggle never ends,” he emphasized, emphasizing that any trade union is obliged to fight for the rights of its members.

Paulo Cafofo was also questioned over a manifesto calling for the PSD to vote, circulated in some regional public administration offices, and insisted that “the people deserve respect” and that “it is disgraceful for anyone to use their highest hierarchical functions for party purposes” .

“We live in a democracy, we have had democracy for 50 years, but here in the region it is a rough democracy, because it is a democracy where freedom is conditional,” he also said, repeating that it is “a breath of fresh air” that “can only happen with PS.”

On Wednesday, during the campaign of the Liberal Initiative, the director of the list, Nuno Morna, denounced the circulation of a manifesto calling for a vote for the PSD “within some secretariats and some services of the regional government”, with the participation of employees forced to sign.

“Who refuses to do this, there are heads of services who tell people that they will keep their name and that later they will see what it is like,” Nuno Morna said.

The Madeira legislature has 14 candidates vying for 47 seats in the regional parliament in one constituency: ADN, BE, PS, Livre, IL, RIR, CDU (PCP/PEV), Chega, CDS-PP, MPT, PSD, PAN , PTP and JPP.

The early elections will take place eight months after the last regional legislative elections, after the President of the Republic dissolved the Parliament of Madeira following the political crisis provoked in January, when the leader of the regional government (PSD/CDU-PP), Miguel Albuquerque, was named as a defendant in the process, in during which suspicions of corruption are being investigated.

In September 2023, the PSD/SDS coalition won without an absolute majority and elected 23 deputies. The PS won 11, JPP five and Chega four, while the CDU, IL, PAN (which signed a parliamentary protection agreement with the Social Democrats) and BE won one mandate each.