The discord over the fact that the CDS is considered a "crutch" of the PSD and the "lack of presence of centrists in the problems of the Algarve" led Rui Calado, vice-president of the CDS-PP District Political Commission, to present, this Tuesday, May 30, its resignation from that body.
José Pedro Caçorino, president of the District, accepted the decision, but contradicts it, saying that the CDS "does not need" a new strategy.
In statements to the Sul Informação, José Pedro Caçorino said "not to consider" that the CDS is the "crutch" of the PSD. It is that, given the Local Elections, what "was a global decision in relation to some councils", he argues.
The centrists will only present their own candidate for the Chambers of five municipalities across the Algarve (Lagoa, Albufeira, Tavira, Silves and Monchique). In Vila Real de Santo António, the CDS does not even go to elections, as it has not been able to find a candidate.
In the remaining 10 Algarve municipalities, the CDS competes in a coalition with the PSD, also due to “ideological proximity”, justifies José Caçorino, but always with at least one element of the party on the lists.
“The issue was defined: there are regular meetings of the District Policy Committee of the CDS. The Local Authorities have worried us a lot. Whether Rui Calado likes it, I don't know, but the decision has been shared», he revealed, in his statements to our newspaper.
Rui Calado, for his part, explained to the Sul Informação that “this Political Commission had presented itself with some assumptions”, such as “being closer to the people, and things didn't happen”. "I can't deal with these situations: I felt uncomfortable and I only had one way," he added.
One of the issues that Caçorino thinks may have weighed on Rui Calado's decision is the negative outcome of a candidacy that was about to advance in Lagos (the city where the resigned man lives and works). José Pedro Caçorino reminded our newspaper that, on the table, there was an independent candidacy for the Chamber of Lagos, led by Nuno Marques (current vice-president of the CCDRA and former PSD candidate for the municipality of Lacobrigense), something that Rui Calado saw “as a good option”. But this candidacy… ended up not moving forward.
However, Rui Calado denied that this issue had any role in his decision to resign from the District.
To what Sul Informação it also found the negotiation of the positions of the elements of the CDS in the lists of municipal coalitions with the PSD, namely in Faro, has caused some bad being among the centrists.
As for the alleged lack of CDS presence in the region's problems, defended by Rui Calado, for example with regard to the works on the EN125, the president of the Centrist District says he does not agree "entirely". «We are at a moment of greater preparation for the municipal period. Before, we took a public position on what we should take», he adds, giving the example of the São Marcos da Serra train station. “We were close to the populations and gave the Parliamentary Group an indication of our position and that of the people”, he explains.
Rui Calado, who had not attended some of the last meetings of the District, considers, on the other hand, that "parties are not looking at civil society with the responsibility and mission service they should have."
In his resignation letter, sent to the editorial offices, the former vice-president of the Algarve centrists regrets that "this point has been reached". «I always nurtured the hope and the desire that, sooner or later, everything would be resolved. However, after all this time, that was not the outcome», he adds.
Even so, José Pedro Caçorino argues that the District is “strong” and will continue “on its way”.
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