Paulo Cunha / LUSA
Candidates for the Presidency of the Republic André Ventura and Henrique Gouveia e Melo (November)
On the one hand, the Admiral repeated several times that he wants to march with the left and the right, calling for unity among the Portuguese, regardless of ideology. On the other, the leader of Chega accused him of being on the fence, but that, among the center parties, he intends to be the PS candidate.
No television debate gives, Andre Ventura he insistently sought to glue the former Chief of Staff of the Navy to the Socialist Party, invoking its support structure and a statement by him in which placed Mário Soares as a reference for President of the Republic for Gouveia e Melo.
The leader of Chega tried to convey the idea that the Admiral does not define himself in matters that he considered essential, such as immigration policies, nationality law or a constitutional review, for wanting to be “on the fence” and wanting to “please everyone”.
During the 30 minutes of debate, the Admiral defended himself from the attacks, but assumed and repeated that he is in the political centerwhich he said generates misunderstandings between people on the left and right. On several occasions, he took advantage of an analogy said the previous day on the SIC program presented by Ricardo Araújo Pereirathat the country needs to march with its left and right legs, and not just as one of them.
The former Chief of Staff of the Navy accepted that Mário Soares is his reference as President, but to which he added the general Ramalho Eanes. He then told Ventura that the two were essential in defending democracy and that his opponent would not now be running for Belém if it weren’t for the action of Eanes and Soares.
But Ventura repeated the idea that Gouveia e Melo had already chosen the PS side.
On the issue of Constitutional review, the Admiral recalled that the President of the Republic has no role in this process – but parliament does. Even so, considered a change to the Fundamental Law acceptable approved by two thirds of right-wing parties in the Assembly of the Republic, as long as it does not call into question article 288, which defines the material limits of review.
In the end, there were two most prominent ideas in the ‘repetition debate’: on the one hand, presidential candidate Gouveia e Melo stating that his main objective is to unite the Portuguese and not instigate hatred; on the other, André Ventura accused him of being on the fence and wanting to be a PS candidate.
