About a year and a half ago, Francisco Martins abdicated the presidency of the Chamber of Lagoa, claiming health problems. Now, the ex-edil Lagoense has announced that he will run for office again, but as an independent, after leaving the PS, the party for which he won the 2017 elections. His former comrades do not forgive and accuse him of "zigzags » politicians despite holding a post to which he was appointed by the socialist government.
To understand what this “war” is, after all, between Francisco Martins and the party that supported him in several elections, just put the dots together.
And the points are, roughly speaking, the manifesto of the civic movement released by the former mayor on January 16, comments he made earlier on social networks, the statements made by the former mayor to the Sul Informação, the letter that Luís Graça, president of the Algarve Federation of the PS and deputy to the Assembly of the Republic, sent to the Lagoa socialist militants and the public position taken by the PS in Lagoa, whose president was, until last November…Francisco Martins.
Soon after the announcement made by the former mayor that he was no longer a member of the PS, Luís Graça sent a missive to the socialists in Lagoa in which he revealed surprise at the “inconsistency of direction” of the former comrade.
«The truth is that in recent years we have witnessed a fickle behavior and zigzags in the political intervention of Francisco Martins. Still, it is surprising that, fortunately, health limitations were overcome and after having accepted to be nominated member of a ministerial cabinet and more recently member of the Regional Health Administration by the Government of the Socialist Party, once again abandon the boat and make one more zigzag», he accuses.
The PS of Lagoa also creases this “cushion” given by the party to its former president. «It is important to mention that, despite this unstable and zigzag behavior, the Socialist Party still gave a hand to Francisco Martins, nominating him to the position of secretary of the Secretary of State for Health and, later, to the position of member of the ARS Algarve , a political position that he still holds today», says the party structure, in a statement.
Contacted by Sul Informação, Francisco Martins confirmed that he continues to hold the position for which he was appointed by the PS Government, in August, stating that he sees "no incompatibility" between his decision to leave the party and to stand against it, in an independent movement, and his permanence as a member of the ARS. This, despite the fact that it is a political appointment, "on a replacement basis" and which was never put out to competition.
«When I left the Chamber, I went to work as a nurse for Santa Casa da Misericórdia, which is my place of work», he said.
Just a few months later, Jamila Madeira, then Secretary of State for Health, was invited to join her team.
“After that, there was this invitation to the ARS. It's a technical job, it's my professional area. But if it's trustworthy and from the moment that trust is broken, because, obviously, they invite me out and I'll leave without any waves», he assured.
For now, "there has been no indication in this regard," he revealed, noting that, during "the entire term of the PS in the previous government", the person who was in the same place was "a prominent PSD militant". But that person had been submitted to a competition through CRESAP, which is not the case with Francisco Martins.
As can be seen, this is a story with a long past, although, at first, it seems to refer to the future, as the Local Elections should take place next October.
Almost from the moment he left the Câmara de Lagoa, on his own initiative, in July 2019, Francisco Martins hinted that not only the serious health problems he faced – and which, in the meantime, he got rid of – motivated his departure.
An interview with the local newspaper «Lagoa Informa», in September 2019, was one of the first points of tension between the former president, on the one hand, and the executive who took the reins of the Chamber after his departure, as well as the local socialist militants on the other.
The Lagoa ER now accuses him of having said that «after all it wasn't just the health problems, it was after all something else, in an attempt to denigrate the images of those who stayed here holding the boat and showing themselves available to be a candidate for other parties».
«Later, when he wanted to continue as leader of the Socialist Party of Lagoa, he presented himself to the militants, justifying his interview, saying that he had not attacked any of the councilors and comrades who had remained, but rather the officials of the Chamber who boycotted him. Work. In other words, first it was just the disease, then it was his team, but finally, they were already the employees of the City Council», accuse the Lagoon socialists, in their statement.
Luís Graça, in the letter he sent to the militants, makes it clear that the discomfort with the PS and its regional and national leadership began shortly after the election of the mayor for the second term as president of the Chamber, for which he obtained an absolute majority .
“Four months after taking office, [Francisco Martins] wanted to turn his back on Lagoa and leave the presidency of the chamber in exchange for going to the Tourism Region. After that, in 2019, he asked us successive times to go to Lisbon and to the Assembly of the Republic, until he decided, citing health reasons, to renounce the mandate that the people of Lagoa had given him through the Socialist Party and leave the Chamber,” said the president of the Socialist Federation.
The Lagoa PS, in the statement it issued, points out the failure of these personal expectations as the reason for its decision to leave the Chamber.
This is because, they allege, the former mayor “saw the 2019 legislative elections as his last opportunity to take the leap, pressuring the Socialist Party to take him to the Assembly of the Republic. Not seeing his intention fulfilled, he fulfilled what he had already promised, to abandon Lagoa and the people of Lagos».
Ao Sul Informação, Francisco Martins categorically refused this version. “It had absolutely no influence on my decision. And Mr. Luís Graça should know, in fact, you know, that what he says is not true», he said.
“It didn't interfere with anything. I had told Luís Graça, a long time before, as soon as he took office as president of the Federation, that he had health problems and that he might not finish his term», he assured our newspaper.
“Unfortunately, I had to resign the mandate for health reasons. No matter how many things they say, that's what happened,” he said.
However, he admitted, he also felt, at the time, “that, often, the administrative power takes precedence over the political one. I even said that following a statement by the mayor of Porto, which I subscribe to».
“What happens is, when we're at our full capacity, we can fight it. And I, unfortunately, was in a situation where I couldn't fight it. That's why I said that I could be harming my council. And I understood, therefore, leave. But they weren't internal mischiefs. They never heard me make comments to those who stayed there. Not then, not now,” he said.
«I'm not going to be here refuting that letter [from Luís Graça], not even more or less. I know the conversations I've had with him and it would be very convenient for me to reveal all the conversations we've had and haven't had. But I'm not going to go there, I want to make a campaign for the positive, clean and without backbiting», he concluded.
But why come back now, less than a year and a half after having resigned?
«After this time, I feel capable and willing to continue what I started», explained Francisco Martins.
“We are structuring an independent movement and building our teams. Our objective is to compete, and we are going to compete, with all the local authorities in Lagoa – City Hall, Municipal Assembly and Parish Councils. We have practically closed the entire process of choosing the heads of the list and we will present them at the beginning of February», revealed the future independent candidate for the Chamber of Lagoa.
However, everything could have been very different, if the PS had accepted Francisco Martins' original proposal, that he should head the socialist list to the Lagoa Chamber, within a few months, to the detriment of current president Luís Encarnação, who rose to the position after the now putative candidate's abandonment.
An idea that remained in the council's circles and which did not receive the approval of either the regional or national PS.
«In recent years, the Socialist Party has observed the re-candidacy rule for mayors and mayors who are in office. Rule that, with the participation of Francisco Martins, was approved again at the last meeting of the PS National Commission», recalled Luís Graça.
“We see no reason why this principle should not be applied in Lagoa, where everyone recognizes the good work that Luís Encarnação and his team are doing”, he said.
After all, the current mayor is «an experienced manager and mayor, who, in a very difficult time, has known with humility, dedication and the solidary support of the people of Lagos and his team in the Chamber, Parish Councils and Municipal Assembly, to lead Lagoa, protecting people and companies from this pandemic and simultaneously implementing and launching on the ground many important projects and works for the council, which were commitments of the PS with the Lagoans», praised the leader of the PS/Algarve.
Francisco Martins, on the other hand, regretted the fact that the decision was taken by “people from outside the municipality”, after the national leadership had invoked the process of choosing the candidate. He even said he disagrees with this practice.
“There have been big wars, at the level of the party and even here in the region, for not accepting that others interfere in the county's destinies. There are others who, when things suit them, accept this interference. I do not accept. I don't accept it, that's it! It is legitimate», he defended.
«Each one follows his own path. I would like it to be respectful and democratic. Unfortunately, it turns out that it is not. But that's it, patience. Each one will have their conscience and each one has to manage and speak for it. I understood that these conditions had been met. I made myself available for the party, within its structure, to have its choices, at the local level, of course. So it wasn't understood, that's it. They have their candidate and I move forward as an independent», he said.
That is, what, until now, has been a battle of words, will soon become an electoral battle.
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