The medical professional revealed that they have known about this decision for two days, during which they requested a recount of signatures, a request which was denied today.
“We submitted the legally required number of signatures, but the Tribunal indicated a significantly different number from what we provided. We requested a recount of signatures (…) and the judge denied us that recount, denying us this basic right we possess,” he stated.
António Araújo, who claims that in a subsequent phase his campaign submitted “another 250 pages of signatures,” plans to appeal to the Constitutional Court.
The lists he presented to two parishes, Centro Histórico and Ramalde, were accepted, but the independent candidate speaks of “more or less hidden forces” attempting to prevent him from running for Porto City Hall.
António Araújo submitted the lists for the local elections on August 18. Besides himself, the lead candidate for the independent movement ‘Porto com Porto,’ other candidates for the council included Francisca Moutinho Ribeiro da Silva e Sousa, Inês Cunha Jorge, Eduardo Carqueja, and Ana Paula Ferreira de Brito.
His candidate for the presidency of the Municipal Assembly is Manuel Alberto Ramos Maçães.
Last Wednesday, Lusa requested access to the dispute processes, a request that was denied today by the Porto Court of Appeal.
Contesting for the Porto City Hall are Manuel Pizarro (PS), Diana Ferreira (CDU – coalition PCP/PEV), Nuno Cardoso (Porto Primeiro – coalition NC/PPM), Pedro Duarte (PSD/IL/CDS-PP), Sérgio Aires (BE), the current vice-president Filipe Araújo (independent movement), António Araújo (independent movement), Alexandre Guilherme Jorge (Volt), Hélder Sousa (Livre), Miguel Corte-Real (Chega), Frederico Duarte Carvalho (ADN), Maria Amélia Costa (PTP), and Luís Tinoco Azevedo (Partido Liberal Social).
The current executive consists of a majority of six elected officials from Rui Moreira’s movement and an independent councilor, with the remaining two positions held by the PS, two by the PSD, one by the CDU, and one by the BE.
The local elections are scheduled for October 12.
