The president of the JPP has expressed to the party secretariat his intention to resign because he disagrees with appearing in fifth place in the candidacy for the September 24 Madeira regional elections, but has not yet made the decision official, a party source said.
“Indeed, the National Secretariat received a letter from Filipe Sousa, minutes before an extended debate – on July 25 – between this executive body and several party activists (at their request), where the current mayor of the municipality of Santa Cruz was not present”, says the JPP statement sent today to the Lusa agency.
In the same document, it is stated that in the letter, Filipe Sousa “expressed his willingness to resign as president of the JPP, re-election that took place in January this year, justifying the decision with the fact that he wanted to” exercise and finish the mandate of president of the Municipality of Santa Cruz with total freedom, above all of expression “.
The JPP Secretariat mentions that the president also argues that this decision aims to “allow total freedom and detachment from “complaints and complaints” that reach the National Electoral Commission, fulfilling the mandate granted by the citizens who elected him”.
“Faced with a personal decision to, first, not integrate the candidate list for the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of Madeira and, later, choose to dedicate himself to the mandate in Santa Cruz unconditionally, resigning from the position of party president, the National Secretariat of the JPP did nothing more than respect this same decision”, declare those responsible for Juntos Pelo Povo in the same statement.
This executive body highlights the “role of Filipe Sousa and his selfless and uncompromising delivery to work for the people of Santa Cruz, in defense of the weakest and the rights of the santa-cruzenses”.
It also reinforces that this party “counts on all the “Filipes”, militants or sympathizers, to face the hard fights ahead: Forward, Without Fear!”.
In the document, the National Secretariat stresses that “the electoral periods and the organization of lists are always moments in which the JPP debates, dialogues but, above all, maintains the democratic spirit that has always characterized the party”.
A source from the Secretariat told the Lusa agency that a first meeting took place to draw up the list of candidates for the regional elections on September 24, which is headed by the secretary general, Élvio Sousa.
Having arisen some disagreements about the place where the president of the JPP appeared, two lists were put to the vote, having been approved by majority the one in which Filipe Sousa was in fifth place, which was ratified by the political commission of the JPP, in a meeting on July 20.
The source said that Filipe Sousa began by supporting the process, but has since changed his mind.
“As he has not yet made this decision official, we are still trying to reverse it,” he said.
According to the statutes, to become effective, the JPP has to convene an extraordinary congress, but, taking into account that elections are scheduled for September 24, being “an exceptional situation, the secretary general, Élvio Sousa, can indicate a name or assume the responsibilities”, he admitted.
The news about the possible resignation of the president of the JPP, Filipe Sousa, was advanced today by the Madeiran matutinos.
Lusa tried to contact Filipe Sousa, but has not yet been able to speak with the also mayor of Santa Cruz.
The JPP emerged as a citizens’ movement in the municipality of Santa Cruz in 2009, having managed to remove the absolute majority that the PSD had always held in this contiguous municipality east of Funchal.
In 2015 it became the 21st Portuguese party to run in the regional elections and elected five deputies to the Legislative Assembly of Madeira. In 2019, the parliamentary group was reduced to three elements.
