The PS/Madeira political committee unanimously approved the vote in favor of the motion of censure that Chega presented to the Regional Government of Madeira. Miguel Albuquerque considers the motion “strange, untimely and irresponsible” and sees no reason to resign.
PS/Madeira will vote in favor of the motion of censure presented by Chega to the Regional Government led by Miguel Albuquerque, which “has lost all credibility”, announced this Saturday the leader of the Madeiran socialists, Paulo Cafofo.
“Unanimouslythe political committee approved this deliberation, that is, the guidance to be given to the parliamentary group in the Legislative Assembly to vote in favor of the motion of censure”, he informed.
The Madeiran socialist leader was speaking to journalists after the meeting of the PS’s regional political committee, at its headquarters in Funchal, in which the motion of censure presented on Wednesday by the Chega parliamentary group to the Government of Madeira was analyzed.
Paulo Cafôfo highlighted that the party has always been “coherent in its action” throughout the process, since, in January, the president of the Madeiran executive was named a defendant in an investigation related to suspicions of corruption, meaning that “he could not and will not hold this Government of Miguel Albuquerque”.
The leader of the Madeiran socialists recalled that “the PS was consistent nthe motion of confidence when the Government Program was presented”, adding that “since that time much more has happened to this government“.
A PS national structure will respect regional autonomy of PS/Madeira in voting in favor of Chega’s motion of censure, considering that this instrument “only confirms the lack of conditions” of the executive led by Miguel Albuquerque to perform functions.
Questioned by Lusa, an official party source said that “the national PS respects the regional autonomy of the PS/Madeira”.
“The PS/Madeira was against the formation of this government and the majority who support it from the beginning. Nothing has changed about that. The only thing that apparently changed was that the majority that supported the formation of this government ceased to exist“, says the same source.
“The motion of censure only comes to confirm this government’s lack of conditions to remain in office”, he concludes.
Last Wednesday, the Chega parliamentary group in the Legislative Assembly of Madeira he delivered a motion of censure against the Regional Government led by social democrat Miguel Albuquerque.
At a press conference, Miguel Castropresident of the Regional Section of Chega in Madeira, demanded the resignation of the head of the Madeiran executivewhich he described as an “obstacle”, and justified the decision to present the motion also with the fact that four regional secretaries are defendants in legal proceedings.
The regional parliament, with 47 deputies, is made up of 19 PSD deputies11 from PS, nine from JPP, four from Chega, two from CDS-PP, one from IL and one from PAN.
The conference of party representatives in the Legislative Assembly of Madeira meets on Monday to schedule the discussion of the motion of censure, which needs to have an absolute majority of votes (24 votes) to be approved.
Second Margarida Davimnational policy commentator for , with the approval of the motion is “highly unlikely that there is another alternative.” that doesn’t go through a new election.
The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Souzacan only intervene in the process and call new regional legislative elections six months after the Madeira Legislative Assembly takes office, which was on May 29, 2024, that is, from November 29.
Albuquerque does not resign
The President of the Government of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerquereiterated this Saturday that he will not resign following the “unexpected” and “untimely” motion of censorship announced by Chega, ensuring that it is prepared for all scenarios.
“I have no reason to resign”, declared the also leader of PSD/Madeira after the meeting of the party’s regional political commission, called to analyze the motion of censure presented by the Chega parliamentary group in the archipelago’s Legislative Assembly.
Miguel Albuquerque considered it to be “this motion is strangeas it is inappropriate and irresponsible”, highlighting that it is a duly legitimized ruler because he was elected in regional elections in 2023 and 2024, winning the internal elections in March of that year.
“What we deduce is that this motion of censure imposed by Chega’s national leadership, in the sense of create political instability in the regionespecially at a time when the Regional Government governed fully, with economic growth like we have never had in the region, with full employability, with the commitments made in execution”, he argued.
The island social democratic leader considered the situation to be “very strange” and said that the PSD will face it “in the open and with its head held high”.
Albuquerque appealed to “democratic parties” to “assume a sense of responsibility” towards “theinterests of the autonomous region” and not “embark on these demagogies and rocambolesque devices aimed at creating political instability”.
For the ruler, “It is essential that there is no more political instabilitythere are no impasses in governance, because this harms the administration of the ‘res publica’ and will harm the population above all.”
“It will not be through this motionmuch less through these parliamentary or factional or partisan expedients that the PSD will hand over power”, he stated.
Miguel Albuquerque added that the PSD is to “fulfill a program which was voted for by the Madeiran people less than six months ago, with an approved program and budget.
The person in charge added that the Budget was being prepared Regional for 2025, and recalled that Chega, “mentor of this motion of censure, even said he agreed and said that the budget was positiveaccepting a set of proposals” from the opposition.
Albuquerque considered it strange that the motion of censure would “make an implacable attack on the PS” and argued that it would be “It’s grotesque that the Socialist Party voted for this measure when the party and its leader, Paulo Cafôfo, “is nicknamed incompetent” and is “vilified”, being “attacked more than the PSD/Madeira” in the text.
“The PSD/Madeira also is prepared for any scenario”, he assured, because “those who determine the government of Madeira and the president of the Regional Government are the people of Madeira through democratic elections”, he reinforced.
Miguel Albuquerque stressed that “It is not through parliamentary coupsnor supporters that the PSD will one day hand over power”, attesting that the party “has no problem going to elections if necessary”.
In your opinion, his removal would be “a fraud” because the electorate voted for the PSD/Madeira ticket, considering that this is yet another “attempt to weaken the party”.
“If they think I’m going to leave to put in a provisional leader to then tear it down and gain power, they are mistaken. We are here to show off and I I’m here to show my face”, he highlighted.
