Santos Silva participated this afternoon in the parliamentary sessions of PS in Penafiel, Porto district, and was questioned by journalists about the support decided the previous day by the Socialist National Commission for the candidacy of the former party leader, António José Seguro, in the presidential elections scheduled for January next year.
“I saw it with complete naturalness, and I have nothing to add about the presidential elections to what I have already said,” he replied.
Despite several journalists’ insistence, Santos Silva reiterated that he had nothing further to add, stating he had already taken his position regarding these presidential elections “in due time.”
“I saw the decision made by the National Commission, a completely legitimate decision, and I respect it with all naturalness,” he added.
In January, the PS leader had said that Seguro “does not seem to meet the minimum requirements for a candidacy that can be supported by PS and a broad field of democratic forces,” accusing him of engaging in “banalities.”
At the beginning of July, after reflection, Santos Silva announced he would not run in the presidential elections, although he considered that the current candidacies “do not fulfill the conditions for a broad social and political field to feel represented in the upcoming presidential elections.”
“Despite the many supports from very valuable and important people to me that I received, the incentives I have received and am very thankful for from the bottom of my heart, I concluded that my candidacy would not be sufficiently inclusive to be sufficiently strong,” he stated.
The former president of the parliament argued then that “the best possible candidacy” would be one from an independent personality emerging from civil society that could bring important themes to the presidential campaign table.
“I make way for the presentation of a strong, unifying, and independent candidacy, withdrawing my availability, and I hope that, in the coming days, a candidacy will emerge that is more comprehensive, stronger, and more unifying than mine would be,” he remarked at the time.
According to the socialist, a “new candidacy” is needed because those currently in the “field are not enough,” none of them are.
