Pedro Castelo Xavier, PSD candidate for the Portimão City Council, wants to "close" the municipal company Portimão Urbis and "a new policy for the price of water". These were two of the "commitments" that the Social Democratic candidate left this Saturday afternoon, during the official presentation of his candidacy, if he is elected president of the municipality in the elections of 29 September.
Pedro Xavier, an economist, thus set the batteries to municipal companies in Portimão, saying that Portimão Urbis, Portimão Adentro and Rio Arade “destroy the economy of Portimão”. As for the price of water, which was targeted at the Municipal Water and Waste Company of Portimão (EMARP), nothing more came out in his short speech.
The candidate also undertook to create "a Social Cantina in Portimão", a "Department of Support to Entrepreneurs" in the Chamber, as well as to allocate "250 thousand euros to support clubs and institutions", "200 thousand to recover facades in the center history" of the city, "300 thousand euros per year for the parishes".
Creating an "urban park in the Palace area", placing a night watchman in all urban areas, a "correct management of the coming and going", and "ending the civil protection tax", which reverts to the firefighters, were other promises. As for the civil protection tax, Pedro Xavier insisted on underlining: "the CDS was created by this tax!"
In fact, throughout his speech, the PSD head of list attacked the centrist candidate almost as often (Jose Pedro Caçorino), such as the Socialist Party's “expense management” in the Portimão Chamber.
A tone that the candidate for the Municipal Assembly Fernando Imaginário had already highlighted: «don't let yourself be taken in by some candidacies that have emerged and say that they are the alternative – the CDS», he said.
Pedro Castelo Xavier also insisted that his candidacy is “a mission, not a place of perch or vanity”. And he made a point of underlining the singularity of the Political Committee of the PSD/Portimão, of which he is president: «we are against tolls on the A22 and paid parking at Hospital do Barlavento».
Socialist power "will fall from its rottenness"
In his speech, the PSD candidate for the Portimão Chamber did not make any explicit reference to Tourism, Youth, Education or the Environment, just to mention some structuring themes.
Interestingly, one of the parts of his speech that drew the most applause to the attendance of around 150 people was when, before directing attacks on the PS that has governed the Portimão Chamber since the first municipal elections after the 25th of April, for more than three decades , it was when Pedro Xavier asked for a "clap of applause" for the only socialist mayor who would have been different, "engineer Nuno Mergulhão" (who died in the middle of his term in a car accident).
As for the socialist administration, the strongest words had already come from Fernando Imaginário: «the power of the PS will not drop from its maturity, it will drop from its rottenness, and the alternative is us, the PSD».
And also the candidate's agent, doctor João Amado (who was not present and whose speech was read by his son), referred to the PS's “years and years of arrogant blindness” at the head of the Chamber.
In an official presentation of the candidacy that took place on St. Peter's Day and precisely three months before the Local Elections of September 29, facts that were considered good omens for Pedro Xavier, the only more or less national figures present were Pedro Rangel, economist, university professor, member of the Municipality of Cascais, and the Algarve deputy Cristóvão Norte.
Of the regional structures, there were representatives of the Municipalities of Olhão, Lagos and Loulé and of the JSD of Lagos and Portimão, but the president of the PSD District, the also mayor Luís Gomes, was conspicuous by his absence.
Interestingly, the official presentation of Pedro Xavier's candidacy and almost all the other top-of-the-lists to the other municipal bodies of Portimão took place on the exterior stage of the Portimão Museum, one of the most visible works – and certainly the most awarded – of the Portimonense socialist power.
Candidates for AM and parishes were also presented...but there is still one
The session, which then took place between the Museum and Rio Arade, also served to present the candidate for president of the Municipal Assembly of Portimão (lawyer Fernando Imaginário), and the candidates for the Parish Assemblies of Portimão (Suzel Grade Neves, graduated in management, staff of the Hospital do Barlavento Algarvio, independent) and of Mexilhoeira Grande (Raquel Boto, architect, catechist, linked to Aldeia de S. José de Alcalar, also independent). The candidate remained to be presented to Alvor, who was absent from the country and will be presented on another occasion.
Before the candidate's final speech to the Chamber, spoke Pedro Rangel, from the Municipality of Cascais, who, after claiming to know very well the profile of Pedro Xavier, said that "the current situation" obliges some people to do "the sacred office of abandoning his professional career to dedicate himself to the collective” and that, he argued, “requires great courage”.
"I have Dr. Pedro Xavier as a prototype of the mayor dedicated to the business area, but with the aim of serving the local population well," he added.
Towards the end, it would be Luís Miguel Martins trying to enthuse the hundred and a half people who watched the launch of the candidacy, saying that «the winds of Portimão relaunch the PSD campaign and re-launch the hope of victory».
Pedro Castelo Xavier's speech:
"Dear friends
Dear Portimonsians
Thank you for your presence on this beautiful summer day.
Thanks to the Municipalities of Loulé, Lagos, Faro and Olhão from the PPD/PSD for their presence at this event.
It's beautiful to see this human frame of 300 people.
It is with great pride that all parishes in our municipality are represented, from the coast to the interior.
Portimão is flanked to the east by the river Arade and to the west by the Ria de Alvor, a veritable peninsula, connected to the north by our Serra Rainha to that of Monchique.
I am a Portimonense, born and raised in Portimão, I am a social democrat, a PPD/PSD, I seek in this municipal project a broad popular and social coalition. Because, I believe that Portimão Has a Future.
All those who are here already know me, they know what I did in my life was with great transparency, with sweat and difficulties, and I'm very proud, I don't regret it.
The place of Mayor is a place of mission and not a job.
My application to CMP is a mission, not a place of perch or vanity.
I'm here because I believe in people, because I believe in our towns and villages in my municipality, because I believe that Portimão has a future.
I believe that I am capable of doing what only one man did in Portimão, Eng. Nuno Mergulhão.
My City Council office will be an open door for all citizens.
I will always be by the side of the Portimão, whenever it is necessary to put the foot down to the Government, in the good name of the defense of Portimão and the Portimonenses.
The objective is to have a path for the future of our municipality.
Over the past few years, the PPD/PSD, worked, built, grew an example of this:
the Studies Office, led by Prof. Dr. Virgilio Machado.
we hear and feel the people, walking in the streets, side by side with our people and with the pulse of our municipality.
we visit schools, clubs, associations, IPPS, commercial associations.
We are the local political force with the most militants.
We like to work with people and for people.
Your proposals and suggestions are clearly a challenge.
We want to present a participatory electoral program,
each one is free to contribute,
everyone is free to say what they think,
to say their proposals.
The PPD/PSD has the challenge of presenting a group of candidates who want the best for their Municipality, who put forward the interests of their citizens, and that will be the reason for our choice.
My commitment is with Portimão, it's with you.
Portimão, you need to clean up the public accounts.
My commitment is: rigor in the management of the Municipality and Municipal Enterprises.
My commitment is: to close with Portimão Urbis, Rio a Dentro, and Expo Arade.
My commitment is: to guarantee a real social policy for the Municipality.
My commitment is: to create a social canteen in Portimão, which guarantees a quick response to the needs of the most needy families in our municipality.
My commitment is: to guarantee sustainable development for the Municipality of Portimão, with the installation of new transformation companies in the business areas, which create jobs in a sustainable manner throughout the year.
Create the Entrepreneur Support and Business Development Department at CMP.
My commitment is: a new water policy, based on a tariff with greater equity and greater social justice.
My commitment is: the creation of an endowment of 250 thousand euros to support the Clubs and Associations of our Municipality.
My commitment is: to end the civil protection tax.
My commitment is: to move the expansion of the network of crèches and pre-schools.
My commitment is: creating a school book bag for the entire municipality.
My commitment is: to foster proximity schools in communities.
My commitment is: to guarantee 200 thousand years to recover the facades of the historic center of our City.
My commitment is: a new parking policy in the city, which rewards the lives of its people.
My commitment is: correct management from the operational point of view of the Come and Go.
My commitment is: to guarantee on time the allocation for the Voluntary Firefighters of Portimão.
My commitment is: to value the Municipality's human resources, providing them with continuous training and valorization with merit.
My commitment is: to enhance Portimão's traditional commerce and tourism.
My commitment is: with the parish councils in my county, to guarantee an annual allocation of 300.
My commitment is: to guarantee a municipality where all urban areas in our municipality have night guard.
My commitment is: to set the tone for the construction of a city park in Portimão on the grounds of the Palace area.
My commitment is with Portimão, with you, with work, with seriousness and competence.
I count on you
You can count on me
Long live Portimão»
Veja here more pictures the launch of the application.
Corrected on July 3, at 11:50 am, correctly attributing two citations.
Updated on July 3, at 16:20 pm, adding Pedro Xavier's speech, in full.
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