The President of the Republic admits “much stricter confinement”

In the debate with Vitorino Silva, in the field of presidential elections, broadcast by RTP3, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who is also re-elected to the post of Head of State, stated that, given the possible worsening of the pandemic crisis, with a increase in infections due to the new coronavirus, “there are two scenarios on the table.”

“The first scenario is to return to four thousand, five thousand, six thousand cases per day”, which translates into a “reduction in the number of cases in the last two days” (in which the new daily infections were around 10,000) , and that “would mean returning to what was the current regime until now,” said the president.

In the event that the evolution of the pandemic “continues at this higher rate,” warned Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, “then there will have to be a much more rigorous closure, except for the closure of schools.”

“The parties will be heard on this twice, before the epidemiological session [de terça-feira] by the Prime Minister, after the epidemiological session of the President of the Republic, “he said, noting that his decision will be” taken to parliament, which he will authorize. “

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa stressed that, even with a worsening of the measures, the electoral campaign will not be in question, because “political activity is safeguarded by law, and must be safeguarded in any case by the presidential decree and its execution” .

Also, “obviously” the lack of definition will be taken into account so that people can travel to the polling stations, he guaranteed, anticipating that on January 24 “there will be freedom of movement, of movement, allowing the exercise of the right to vote.”

The president of the Republic, and candidate, also said that, before setting the date for the presidential elections, he had doubts about a possible postponement, so he listened to the parties with parliamentary representation, who rejected said postponement.

“Unlike the other elections, as for the presidential elections, the Constitution itself sets the terms that determine the date, or the possible dates of the election, because the date is set according to the end of the previous period of the President, what which means that for there to be a postponement, and that is why I asked the political parties, a constitutional review was necessary, “he explained, noting that it can only happen at the initiative of parliament and that it is not” very easy “for it to happen” due time. “.

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