Jorge Pinto’s curious letter where he does not call for voting itself

Presidential candidate Jorge Pinto asked Livre activists and Democrats to “vote freely” for the name that “gives more guarantees for the defense of the Constitution” in a letter in which he does not call for voting itself in Sunday’s election.

In a letter sent this Thursday to Livre activists and “all democrats”, Jorge Pinto recalls that he assumed, from the beginning of his candidacy, that the “lefts still had time to assume a republican pact, based on the defense of the Republic” to “face a historical moment in which the left starts from a situation of significant disadvantage”.

“I don’t need to remind you that this idea was either belittled, or ironized, or even distorted. It certainly wasn’t our candidacy’s fault that we didn’t move towards a frank dialogue about how this republican pact could have been materialized, and this even had consequences for the candidacy itself, over which, as a result of this transparency and openness, an aura of ‘withdrawal’ began to permanently hover, no matter how many attempts at clarification were made”, he laments.

This letter comes hours after the candidate supported by Livre said that understands that voters want to vote for a candidacy that prevents a second round between an undemocratic candidate and another “too close to the Government”.

Jorge Pinto understands those who don’t vote for him

Jorge Pinto highlights the importance of his candidacy, but, addressing voters, he asks them to make “their choices consciously” and thanks those who have already voted, but emphasizes that understands those who “would like to vote” for you but “will not do so for fear of what the second round could be like”.

Without ever calling for a vote in his candidacyJorge Pinto says that he “understands and listens” to those who will not vote for him, even if that were his wish, and asks for everyone who “votes, freely, for the name that conscience dictates and provide more guarantees to defend our Constitution.”

“This will be a fight to be fought during the second round of the presidential campaign, in which our pressure must ensure that the issue remains on the agenda and that the Portuguese, political agents and the next President of the Republic are aware of the risk of a constitutional coup that lies ahead. As well as ensuring the most important thing – that all possible measures are taken to defend our Constitution”, he states.

Withdrawal out of the question – for a strong reason

The candidate supported by Livre emphasizes, as he has already done in this campaign, that the withdrawals in the race to Belém “will hardly be repeated”given the implementation of early voting.

For Jorge Pinto, with the possibility of voting in advance, the “deadlines for any type of convergence are drastically brought forward” since “no candidacy will give up being officially on the ballot after votes have been cast”.

“If that were to happen, all of these votes would be considered null and that would be a betrayal of those who trusted us and their own sense of voting. Therefore, the failure of other candidates to respond to the proposal and openness to a republican pact as soon as it was announced and proposed, meant, in practice, the impossibility of any form of convergence”, he stresses.

Insurance ‘thanks’

António José Seguro took “good note” of Jorge Pinto’s statementwho asked voters to “vote freely”.

“I take good note of the statement that candidate Jorge Pinto just made and I reaffirm what I have been saying in recent days and even today, that it is necessary that every Portuguese woman and every Portuguese person makes use of their vote. The only moderate candidate, the only center-left candidate, the only candidate who is faithful and loyal to the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic and who can pass to the second round, is me”, he began by responding.

Asked whether this statement from the candidate supported by Livre did not come late, Seguro replied that “all votes that arrive by 7 pm next Sunday come on time”.