Paulo Raimundo made this accusation during a walkabout in Moura, the town where he had promised journalists he would discuss André Ventura. Ventura previously ran for office in this municipality and, after being elected, missed 30 sessions of the Municipal Assembly.
The PCP Secretary-General emphasized that Ventura is “featured on posters all over the country,” positioning himself as a candidate everywhere. However, in the “only instance he was elected as a municipal candidate,” he believed “the best thing to do was to break all commitments with the population and miss 30 Municipal Assembly meetings.”
“I think it’s all said, regardless of the results, it’s all said about how he views and respects commitments to the populations,” he stated.
When asked if he fears that Ventura might win strongholds of the CDU, particularly in the Alentejo, Paulo Raimundo replied, “What I think André Ventura has conquered—if I may use an expression a bit like André Ventura—was a lack of shame.”
“Because what he conquered was 30 absences here in Moura at the municipal assemblies after being elected,” he affirmed, reiterating that despite André Ventura appearing on Chega’s municipal candidate posters, “he is not a candidate anywhere.”
“The only time he was a candidate [municipal] was here in Moura four years ago. He was elected to the Municipal Assembly and was absent 30 times,” he reiterated.
Regarding how to curb the growth of Chega in regions like Alentejo or Algarve, Paulo Raimundo argued that “there is nothing to curb and leave uncapped,” emphasizing that Moura is a “prime example” of those who do the opposite of what they say.
“I think it clearly shows the contempt and the way [André Ventura] treats those who voted for him, who trusted him,” he underscored.
Questioned about what explains Chega taking first place in many municipalities currently managed by the CDU, such as Sesimbra, Monforte, or Viana do Alentejo, during the last legislative elections, Paulo Raimundo pointed out the difference between legislative and municipal elections.
“There is no connection between legislative elections… People’s motivations are very different in municipal elections,” he noted, providing the example of the CDU’s result in Moura in the last municipal elections (38.97%) compared to the legislative elections (11.36%).
The Secretary-General of the PCP expressed no doubt that citizens who voted for Chega in the last legislative elections will vote for the CDU in the municipal elections on October 12.
“Because they know us, they know our candidates, they know our work, and, therefore, when choosing, they will choose what they know,” he considered.
Paulo Raimundo expressed no concern if, globally, Chega achieves a better result than the CDU in the municipal elections. Asked if trailing behind that party in some municipalities would taste like defeat, he posed a challenge.
“If you can tell me one where that’s in dispute, I’ll make a bet with you,” he remarked.
In these comments to journalists, Paulo Raimundo was also confronted with remarks from the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, who stated today that there was an “operational error” regarding the landing of American planes at the Lajes Base en route to Israel in April. Raimundo responded with irony.
“I think it was an error in fuel calculation. If there had been enough fuel, they wouldn’t have landed in Lajes. I think it was more a fuel calculation error than a procedural one,” he said.
[Updated news at 7:48 PM]
