The presidential candidate Luís Marques Mendes stated today that his opponent André Ventura “cannot and will not be President of the Republic,” accusing him of “dividing the Portuguese people” and “undermining democracy.”
During a visit to the Santa Iria Fair in Tomar, Santarém district, the former PSD leader called Ventura’s remarks “simply regrettable” following an interview with SIC in which Ventura suggested that Portugal needed “three Salazars.”
“The country needs a President who unites the Portuguese. This man is here to set them against each other,” asserted Marques Mendes.
The former PSD leader and candidate for the presidency emphasized that the country requires a head of state who defends democracy and mutual respect.
“This man respects nothing and no one, as was evident in this recent interview. In a word: this man cannot and will not be President of the Republic,” he emphasized.
The social-democrat announced he plans to “defend mutual respect and the ideas of all,” in contrast to André Ventura.
“He seeks to divide the Portuguese, and I want to unite them. He wants to undermine and even destroy democracy. I want to reinforce the quality of our democracy. That is what a President of the Republic should do. These are completely opposing fields, which is why I say this man cannot and will not be President of the Republic, because it is not what the Portuguese want from a President of the Republic,” he stated.
Marques Mendes further claimed that the Chega leader “wants to be prime minister” and not the President of the Republic, aiming with his candidacy at creating “noise, confusion, and provocation.”
“He only knows how to live on the basis of noise, confusion, and provocation. That is why such a person cannot and will not be President of the Republic,” he added.
