Odília Lopes withdrew from being the head of the Alliance list, for the Algarve, in the October Legislative Elections, for feeling a lack of support, leaving messages to those who "greed for the spotlight" and "enhance their personal ego". Telmo Martins, regional party leader, is the new candidate.
In a statement, Odília Lopes, who also resigned from the positions of coordinator of the municipality of Albufeira and member of the National Political Directorate of Aliança, says that, not feeling "supported" in this journey, she took the "most coherent decision".
“I thought I just had to compete with other political forces to win voters… And I think that will be the right thing to do. Unfortunately, this is not always the case», he says.
The withdrawal also deserved a reaction from Aliança/Algarve, speaking of surprise and “personal and professional reasons” that weighed in the decision.
“For me, Odília Lopes' decision deserves all respect. I assume it was a huge surprise, as it would be a great candidate who came with a proven track record, after the excellent performance she had during the campaign for the European Elections,” said Telmo Martins in a statement.
The Alliance Party District Commission says it is now finalizing the list of candidates for the Algarve, which will be presented very shortly.
«It is with pride and a sense of responsibility that I accepted this new challenge, when I joined Aliança, it was with the intention of being able to do something positive for Portugal and, above all, for the Algarve region. So far, nothing has changed and, after these months of work, I conclude that there are numerous essential changes for the development of the Algarve region. It is urgent and necessary for the Algarve population to have representatives in the Assembly of the Republic to defend it», adds Telmo Martins.
What is certain is that, in a short time of existence, the exchanges and exchanges in Aliança/Algarve continue. Cláudia Gonçalves, former leader of the party at regional level, resigned, last March, when he was already the head of the list for the Europeans.
Now, it was Odília Lopes who slammed the door.
Comments