Carla Ponte, head of the Tourism, Economic and Cultural Development Division of Albufeira Council, is available to run for president of the Algarve Tourism Region (RTA), but only if André Gomes, who has also shown openness to run for office, is not a candidate.
In recent days, Carla Ponte has been asked to be the face of an alternative candidacy for André Gomes.
The announcement of a possible candidacy for the current director of the Núcleo de Promotion, Animation and Tourist Information of the RTA created controversy, in particular because he was the son of Isilda Gomes, mayor of Portimão, and husband of Ana Varges Gomes, president of the Council of Administration of the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve.
In statements to the Sul Informação, Carla Ponte, who is even a PS militant, despite not having been party active for years, confirmed these approaches, saying that she will only run if it is a «consensus solution».
And what is a consensus solution?
«It is a solution that comes from the bosom of businessmen and that is accepted by the majority of the electoral commission», replied Carla Ponte.
O Sul Informação knows that there are already associations that welcome the candidacy of Carla Ponte.
AHETA – Association of Hotels and Tourist Enterprises of the Algarve, led by Hélder Martins, who has even been president of the RTA, the Association of Hotel and Similar Industries of the Algarve (AIHSA) and the Confederation of Entrepreneurs of the Algarve (CEAL), whose president and Carlos Luís, former leader of the Algarve Tourism Association, are three examples.
Carla Ponte, who is also on the board of the Albufeira Promotion Agency (led by Desidério Silva, former president of the RTA), guaranteed that, next week, she will have a final decision.
«I am not available to get involved in wars between businessmen and Chambers. If André Gomes advances as a candidate and has this support, I will not advance », he advanced.
Assuming she was "surprised" by the "invitation" to apply for the RTA, Carla Ponte, who has the support of José Carlos Rolo, mayor of Albufeira, explained that she will only apply if she "feels that she will contribute positively" to the Algarve Tourism Region.
«I'm not afraid of going to the game and losing, but the truth is that I feel that I don't need it. I don't want to leave a structure [RTA] divided into two poles, nor get involved in party fights », he concluded.
The electoral college, which will choose the next president of the RTA, brings together the 16 municipalities in the region, an element of the CCDR of the Algarve, representing the State, 14 business associations and two unions.
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