“The way they tried to link me to engineer Sócrates doesn’t seem to be an innocent thing. Therefore, I despise this kind of politicking and political trick. I don’t want to be a politician of that kind,” declared Gouveia e Melo to journalists in Lisbon.
The former Chief of the Navy General Staff made this statement after being questioned about the resignation of Afonso Camões, former president of Lusa and director of Jornal de Notícias, from his role as district representative for Gouveia e Melo’s campaign in Castelo Branco, following a report by Correio da Manhã associating him with José Sócrates.
The presidential candidate responded that he had already had the opportunity to speak with Afonso Camões, explaining his resignation in these terms: “He asked to leave my campaign to, in some way, protect me, and it was very dignified of him to do so. I accepted, and at this moment he is already out of the campaign.”
“He made this decision; I didn’t ask him to. He made this decision,” he emphasized. “I believe it is a noble decision by someone who understands politics and the political context, and therefore, I think it’s very good,” concluded Henrique Gouveia e Melo.
Subsequently, Gouveia e Melo stated that he would not “continue to fuel this type of controversy” that “doesn’t solve any problem for the country.”
Regarding the former PS secretary-general José Sócrates, accused of several crimes in the context of Operation Marquês, who expressed support for his candidacy, the former Chief of the Navy General Staff reiterated: “I don’t know him, didn’t ask for anything, and have no relationship.”
“Mr. Engineer José Sócrates does what he sees fit. I don’t control him, as is evident,” he added.
“But I’m not here to discuss, once again, something that’s politicking. If Engineer José Sócrates says anything about me one day, it seems from then on, I have to talk only about that. No,” reinforced Gouveia e Melo.
