The decision of Ricardo Clemente, who was the head of the list for the PS to the Council of Albufeira, to accept a position of permanent councilor, with assigned areas, in the municipal executive, thus guaranteeing a majority to the social democrat José Carlos Rolo, is “personal” and disappoints “many people inside and outside the party”.
In an extensive statement, released this morning, Vítor Ferraz, president of the PS Council, begins by saying that "it is time to clarify certain misunderstandings, aired in order to distort the real sequence of facts". The leader of the Albufeires Socialists refers above all to Ricardo Clemente's allegations, made in an interview with Sul Informação, of what he would have been betrayed by his party, which would have even negotiated with the PSD behind his back.
Now, the sequence of facts narrated by Vítor Ferraz in the communiqué – and confirmed by our newspaper along with other sources – confirms that it was nothing like that.
The PS Council communiqué begins by saying that, after the elections, which gave victory to the coalition led by social democrat José Carlos Rolo, although without a majority, «the councilors elected by the Socialist Party, taking advantage of the fact that the opposition is in the majority in the council, they began to prepare a strategy, centered on the council's pressing needs”, aimed at obliging “the executive to listen and negotiate, something that was lacking in the previous term”.
But, «that same day, councilor [elected by the PS] Ricardo Clemente announced his opening to accept portfolios», something that was not accepted by the president of the Socialist Council.
"In the next two days, and there were rumors of an existing agreement between the councilor and the elected president, the president of the Municipality sought to verify with himself the veracity of the information, having obtained this confirmation".
Vítor Ferraz then said to Ricardo Clemente that "this option would disappoint many people inside and outside the party, that the Party would hardly follow this option and what could happen to it if this were to happen, asking for better reflection."
And it was Ricardo Clemente himself who assumed that it was “a personal option”, adding that “the Party should do what it wanted”.
In the following days, after a few more advances and setbacks, in a phone call between the president of the PS Council and the elected mayor, José Carlos Rolo confirmed the "availability of the councilor" to accept functions and join the executive, although at that time , nothing was “defined in terms of portfolios”.
In that same phone call, the president of the Municipality was informed that the PSD “wanted to present a proposal for a joint agreement for the three bodies, since it did not intend to negotiate with the independents”.
The following Saturday, the communiqué signed by Vítor Ferraz continues, “a joint meeting was held between the heads of the list and the presidents of the council and of the District Federation” of the PS (Luís Graça). At that meeting, councilor Ricardo Clemente “re-confirmed his availability to accept portfolios”, confirming that he would not be present at the council meeting, which took place on 5 October.
At that meeting, "it was agreed that the PSD's proposal would be heard". This happened on the 11th, in a meeting between a delegation from the PSD and the Council of the PS.
The Socialists decided, however, to reject the final proposal presented by the Social Democrats, considering that it “transformed the loss of majority in the three bodies by the PSD, into a position of absolute majority, leaving the Socialist Party in a position of subservience, subverting the will of the popular vote that attributed more votes to the entire opposition».
Vítor Ferraz adds, in the communiqué, that "this position of the Council was accompanied by the president of the PS District Federation, who reiterated the general principles regarding coalitions with other political forces."
Faced with this sequence of facts, Vítor Ferraz rejects the accusations made by Ricardo Clemente to justify his decision to accept being a permanent councilor. “Everything that happened from that date onwards was the personal choices of those involved”, he stresses.
It is because, he adds, "the exercise of public service and support to citizens must take precedence over the search for positions, their advantages or some ephemeral social status".
The PS from Albufeirense also says that "the vote of a non-permanent councilor is worth as much as that of a permanent councilor", and that "the stability of an executive must be achieved through its actions and dialogue with the forces represented and not the positions which it offers in exchange for any fidelity or absolute control'.
Despite everything that has happened, the PS, with the councilman who still has it, says it maintains "the purpose of exercising a responsible opposition, influencing government action, in the presentation of proposals for the problems of the municipality".
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