Paulo Novais / Lusa
The Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Coins
The mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Coins, guaranteed this Sunday that he fits his duties if anyone proves that the derailment of the Glory Elevator, stems from an error of his responsibility. Alexandra Leitão accuses the mayor of doing “exercise of excitement”.
In an interview with SIC, the first given to a media body since September 3, Carlos Coins stated that in the tragedy of the elevator of glory “there is no No errors that can be imputed to a decision of the mayor ”.
“If anyone proves that some action I had, something I did as mayor of Carris led to this company not to spend enough to maintain, that this company did not do what it had to do, I dismiss myself on the day”He said.
Coins recalled that the Lisbon Chamber is Carris shareholder, but do not generate The company, noting that, as a shareholder, the municipality has a strategy for the city’s mobility and provides resources to the transport company.
According to the mayor of Lisbon, the municipality gave the carrier resources to “increase your budget by 30%”, Pointing out that“ this are data of political responsibility ”, and said that the last four years has spent Invest in Lisbon for better mobility”Through the acquisition of 114 buses and 15 electric.
“This company had the resources that were given by the Chamber exactly in this political responsibility. Therefore, I don’t need elections For this political responsibility, ”he said.
Confronted with the words of the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who argued that Carlos Coins is politically responsible And that the Lisbon will make due political judgment in the local elections, coins remembered that the municipality is a shareholder and does not interfere with management from Carris.
Stated, on the other hand, that will not allow the vice president Filipe Anacoreto Correia fires of functionssince it is the one who has the protection of transport, arguing that it would be “a cowardice someone gets out”Extending the justification to the president of Carris.
Stated that Your priority on the day of the accident was to be on the ground“In one of the most difficult situations Lisbon has ever lived” and not talk to politicians or answer questions from journalists, pointing out that have been “days of mourning”in which their concern has been to seek to respond to the victims’ families.
Coins took the opportunity to highlight that the preliminary report on the causes of the accident shows that There was no human error and stressed that the guard, André Marques, one of the deadly victims, was a “herowho fought with his life to protect people. ”
Said, on the other hand, hurt by political use that has been made of the case, accusing the Ps of being “disguised” and “cynical”when having a candidate for the autarchy that does not directly ask for his dismissal, but then “Investigates all its sicaries and all its supporters to come from behind. ”
Carlos Coins left the guarantee that he will do everything to ascertain the causes and responsibilities and remembered, by the way, that There is no report about Accident that involved the Glory Elevator in 2018and that could now “help not to repeat again.”
In relation to the other elevators that work in the city, the mayor explained that the decision to stop and were evaluated was to transmit “tranquility, serenity and decision ability”To all citizens, reaffirming that daily surveys are made.
“Exercise of excuse”
To socialist Alexandra Leitãocandidate for the PS/Free/BE/PAN coalition to the Lisbon Chamber in the next authority, accused the president of the municipality, Carlos Coins on Sunday, of doing “Exercise Exercise”About the accident in the elevator of glory.
“Carlos Coins returned to personal attack. You don’t know how to do politics otherwise, ”said Alexandra Leitão, in a social network X, in reaction to the interview of the mayor of Lisbon to SIC.
“Who hears him thinks that the first victim of the tragic accident In the elevator of glory he was himself. It wasn’t. Were the dead, the injured and their families”, Adds the candidate in the publication.
The socialist considered that the interview that Carlos Cois gave to SIC “is an exercise of excuses pI hear worthy of a political guardian. Did not bring answers, did not present solutions and did not announce a single measure help the victims or restore the confidence of the Lisbon in the city’s infrastructures. ”
In the interview with the television station, the PSD mayor said there is “a great Difference between PS led by José Luís Carneirowho is a centrist man, and the PS of Lisbon, which is a left blockallied to BE, who has been radicalized ”, considering that“ there are two different PS ”.
Alexandra Leitão has Refused Advance with dismissal requests About the tragedy, but has required “thorough clarification and an assumption of responsibilities” regarding the accident.
The PS candidate recalls the case of Anti-Putin by the capital’s autarchy in 2021, before this year’s municipal elections, where Carlos Coins called for the resignation of Fernando Medinathe then president of the municipality.
This Monday, from 9:30 am, the Lisbon Chamber will hold an extraordinary meeting dedicated to the accident with the Glory Elevator, in which they should be discussed Support measures for victims and family membersas well as to determine the causes and responsibilities.
So far, the PS de Condução has advanced with a proposal that suggests the creation of a Memorial on the Calçada da Gloria and the opening of a municipal office to support the victims, as well as the constitution of an external audit committee.
