The PSD of Portimão withdrew this Saturday, at the meeting of the Social Democrats' District Political Commission, the candidacy of Luís Carito for the Municipal Council of this Algarve city, he confirmed to the Sul Informação the president of the District.
David Santos added that "the candidacy was not even discussed" at the District meeting, having been withdrawn by those responsible for the Portimão Municipal Section, chaired by Carlos Gouveia Martins.
According to what our newspaper found, the candidacy of Luís Carito, former vice-president of the Portimão Chamber and former leading figure of the Socialist Party, was not approved by the National PSD, forcing the Portimonenses Social Democrats to back down.
Last Wednesday, March 31, it was just after 18 pm when Carito announced, in a short statement to journalists, that «after a long reflection, today, at 3pm, I took the decision to present my candidacy to the Municipality of Portimão, as an independent», but supported by a «movement with several parties', including the 'PSD, CDS and Liberal Initiative' as well as 'independent people without a party'.
A few minutes after the Sul Informação having published the news with the statements of the putative candidate, the Liberal Initiative categorically denied any support, even saying that the candidacy was «the representation of nepotism, cronyism, corruption and public mismanagement that exists not only in the Algarve, but in our country».
Also shortly thereafter, it was learned that the joint press conference of the lleaders of the PSD of Portimão (Carlos Gouveia Martins) and of the local CDS (João Caetano), scheduled for 20:00 at Teatro Municipal Tempo, and which would serve to announce the support of these parties to Luís Carito, had been unmarked.
The point is that the heads of list of the PSD to the Municipal Chambers have only been announced, by Rui Rio himself, as president of the party, after being validated by the respective District Political Commissions and then by the CP Nacional. In the case of Carito, the announcement was made before these procedures were completed, which immediately caused controversy among the Social Democrats.
But the very choice of Luís Carito as a candidate supported by PSD and CDS, when he was always, as vice president of the municipality of Portimonense elected by PS, considered by those parties as one of the main responsible for the near bankruptcy of the Chamber, fell very badly in the among the Social Democrats, their supporters and public opinion.
Francisco Amaral, mayor of Castro Marim, and the oldest mayor of the PSD in office in the Algarve, commenting on the situation, wrote this afternoon on his Facebook page: «Ufff what a relief. National PSD rejects candidate “invented” by the PSD of Portimão. It is important to give credibility to political life. No more sly behind-the-scenes moves».
O Sul Informação he has already tried to speak with the president of the PSD/Portimão, but so far, it has not been possible, due to the fact that he is at a party meeting.
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