The spokesman for PAN/Madeira, Joaquim Sousa, argued today that the parliamentary incidence agreement signed with the PSD/CDS-PP coalition is illegal, arguing that it would have to be approved first by the party’s national political committee.
Joaquim Sousa went to the São Lourenço Palace in Funchal today, while the representative of the Republic for Madeira, Ireneu Barreto, was receiving the PAN as part of the consultation of the parties that won seats in Sunday’s regional legislative elections.
The PAN spokesman even entered the building’s courtyard, but, on the instructions of Ireneu Barreto’s office, he spoke to journalists outside the São Lourenço Palace.
Joaquim Sousa said that, as head of PAN’s regional political committee, he had to be received by the representative of the Republic, accusing the elected MP, Mónica Freitas, and the other party members who attended the meeting of usurping their functions.
“The agreement is illegal for a very simple reason: if Dr. Mónica Freitas signed the agreement on PAN letterhead, she has no legitimacy to do so, because she is only an elected member of parliament, she hasn’t taken office yet, she doesn’t represent PAN in court. PAN has a regional structure that is represented in court by its regional spokesperson,” she argued.
The leader also stressed that the document “is illegal” because it would have to be approved first by the PAN’s national political committee, adding that this body will meet today “in an emergency to ratify an agreement that national commissioners and the regional political committee are not aware of”.
Regarding the statements made by Mónica Freitas on Tuesday, who said that she would become the spokesperson for PAN/Madeira and that Joaquim Sousa would be removed, without explaining the details, Joaquim Sousa assured that “he has not been notified of anything”.
“I have no knowledge of any process. I am the elected spokesperson for PAN/Madeira and, in that sense, inside, the meeting that is taking place is a meeting of usurpation,” he stressed.
The PAN spokesman also stressed that he would not have signed this parliamentary agreement, arguing that voters feel that “they have been deceived” and that there has been “a betrayal”.
On November 12, 2022, Sousa was sworn in as leader of the PAN’s regional political committee, after a single-list election.
In July of this year, he was nominated as the party’s candidate for the regional elections in Madeira.
However, on the eve of the submission of her candidacy to the Madeira Judicial Court, the PAN announced that she would be replaced by Mónica Freitas, justifying the decision in a statement with “an incompatibility”.
Joaquim Sousa filed a lawsuit in court to annul the candidacy of the People-Animals-Nature party in the elections, but it was dismissed.
During the press conference held on Tuesday to announce the parliamentary advocacy agreement, the elected MP said that Joaquim Sousa will no longer be the spokesperson for the regional structure, but will replace him, as she is the number two in the party’s regional structure, and assured that the matter “is already being dealt with”, without explaining.
The spokesman for the party’s regional political commission, Joaquim Sousa, has called a meeting for today to discuss the organizational situation of the PAN, as well as to analyze the legislative elections in Madeira and the agreement signed.
According to the provisional official results, the Somos Madeira coalition won the regional legislative elections on Sunday with 43.13% of the vote, but missed out on an absolute majority by one MP, which requires 24 of the 47 seats in the archipelago’s parliament.
The PS elected 11 deputies, the JPP five and Chega four, while the CDU (PCP/PEV), BE, PAN and IL elected one deputy each.
On Sunday, after the results were known, the leader of the PSD/Madeira and president of the regional government since 2015, Miguel Albuquerque, guaranteed that he was in a position to present a parliamentary majority government, but stressed that Chega – present in the chamber for the first time in the next legislature – was excluded from the agreement.
PAN and IL then expressed their willingness to come to an agreement with the PSD/CDS-PP coalition.
Representative of the Republic in Madeira begins party hearings today
