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Last night, the members of the national board and other leaders of the PPD received a message via WhatsApp from the vice president of the party, Francisco Vidal. In the text, the presidential candidate of the community announced that suspend your participation on the board of directors to dedicate full time to your campaign ahead of the party primaries on January 31, where he will be measured with the current helmsman Heraldo Muñoz and with the former deputy Jorge Tarud.
“The campaign ends on January 30 and I have to dedicate myself 100% to it. As vice president I have tasks and I need to clear and dedicate myself. The plan is to get from Arica to Punta Arenas via zoom and travel as little as possible ”, confirmed Vidal to The Third PM.
The decision reported yesterday by Vidal is no accident. The permanence at the table of him and Heraldo Muñoz, current PPD helmsman, has been the subject of debate within the party for several weeks.
After the National Council where the political vote was approved to hold the primaries at the end of January (a decision that the PPD table ratified two days ago), there was a harsh exchange of opinions on the dual role of both as leaders and presidential candidates. On that occasion, it was Vice President Tomás Iturbe who suggested that Muñoz resign from the party’s presidency.
According to two witnesses, the debate at that board meeting held in mid-December was based on criticism of the decision of the board to draft the political vote on the date of the primary without the issue of deadlines being settled previously. in the directive. In fact, Party figures like Carolina Tohá had suggested establishing a mechanism to do the primary even after the municipal elections.
Within the framework of this exchange of opinions, according to an assistant recalls, Iturbe questioned whether a schedule should be set based on personal interests and not the party’s.
Muñoz on that occasion rejected the idea of leaving the board of directors, arguing that he had been elected thanks to the majority support of the militancy and that he would remain in office until the end of his term.
Vidal alludes to that meeting adding that it was also suggested that the PPD table is in the process of negotiations with the rest of the parties and, therefore, a change of table was inconvenient.
“The issue of leadership of the party was raised and that we are in full municipal negotiation. There were reasons on both sides, but independently of all that, I said that since January 5 I want to dedicate myself to the campaign and leave the responsibility as first vice president, ”he says.
Regarding the decision expressed by Muñoz on that occasion, Vidal adds: “Here everyone assumes their choice. I prefer to dedicate myself 100% to the campaign. For example, now I am in charge of the search for constituents and that generates so much work, so much conversation that I prefer to say here I am ”.
Consulted the respect, Thomas Iturbe points out that “the situation of the PPD with three presidential candidates is unprecedented. And since we have candidates in different conditions within the party, The logical thing would be for the functions of those on the board to be temporarily suspended to compete on equal terms. It is a gesture that I value on the part of Francisco Vidal and I hope that others will pick it up ”.
This morning, Muñoz notified the leadership of the PPD and the militancy of his decision to remain in office. He did so through a letter in which, referring to the agreement to hold internal primaries, he indicated that he is proud of the work carried out by the board of directors he has headed in these last two years and reaffirmed that he will continue to carry out his work in search of unity. broad opposition. (*)
On Sunday, meanwhile, Vidal and Muñoz will face each other in a debate through the Estado Nacional program transmitted by TVN.
This note was updated at 2:53 p.m.
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