The PCP elected the new central committee. Without the usual unanimity and with six votes against and eight abstentions. José Capucho, member of the party’s Secretariat and Political Committee, says that the group of chosen ones corresponds to the party’s objectives.
OHe was elected this Saturday at the party’s 22nd Congress, in Loures, with six votes against and eight abstentions, and establishes a communist leadership with fewer members, younger people and more women.
The announcement of the election result was made to journalists by José Capucho, member of the party’s Secretariat and Political Commission, in a statement without the right to questions, at the Municipal Sports Complex “Cidade Almada”, where the PCP Congress is being held.
The list, proposed by the outgoing Central Committee, enshrines a smaller leadership, consisting of 125 members, with 25 members joining and 29 leaving, according to José Capucho.
“The new Central Committee corresponds to the identity and characteristics of the PCP and the party’s global needs and is capable of assuming responsibility for leading the party until the next congress”, stated the PCP leader.
José Capucho also considered that the election result “is yet another demonstration of the unity and cohesion of the PCP around its leadership”.
The PCP leader highlighted that the 29 departures of members of the Central Committee are justified “for various reasons” and assured that they will continue “integrated into organizations and with party tasks”.
Regarding the entries, José Capucho highlighted that the 25 entries correspond to a “20% renewal” of the communist leadership, with the youngest members being 23 years old.
Among the 29 members who are leaving the Central Committee are former deputy Alma Rivera, former MEP Ilda Figueiredo and former members of the communist Political Commission Armindo Miranda and João Dias Coelho.
Among the 25 new members, there is Tânia Mateus, a 45-year-old senior technician, who, in October, temporarily assumed the position of deputy in the Assembly of the Republic, replacing Paulo Raimundo, who had interrupted his mandate to take advantage of the paternity.
100 members move to the new communist leadership, from the outgoing Central Committee, including the current communist leader, Paulo Raimundo, the former general secretary of the PCP Jerónimo de Sousa, the MEP João Oliveira, the councilor at the Lisbon Chamber and former -presidential candidate João Ferreira, the parliamentary leader of the PCP, Paula Santos, the deputy António Filipe, the general secretary of the CGTP, Tiago Oliveira, and the former mayor of Loures Bernardino Soares.
The new communist leadership is younger – the average age goes from 49 years established in 2020 to 48 – and will have more women (the proportion increases from 27.3% to 30.4%).
The new Central Committee will now meet, also behind closed doors, to debate and elect the composition of its executive bodies – Political Commission and Secretariat – and the Central Control Commission. The results of this election will, however, only be released on Sunday.
Four years ago, in the last PCP Congress, the Central Committee had been elected with 98.5% of the votes, and the number of voters for this Saturday has not yet been released.
