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“The political activity of the PCP or any other party is not prohibited. There is nothing in the Constitution, in the law, that prohibits the exercise of political activities. Now, these activities will have to be carried out in accordance with the rules “There are still four months to go before the Festa do Avante! But the communist event is already generating controversy due to the restrictions required in the context of the pandemic. The government decided ban music festivals until the end of September, but António Costa has already guaranteed that the proposal does not cover the communist party. “There is nothing in the Constitution, in the law, wherever it is, that prohibits the exercise of political activities” He said in an interview with the Porto Canal, however, the prime minister recalled that the PS postponed the congress due to the pandemic and that the communists must “respect health standards.”
The Government bill that prevents the celebration of “festivals and shows of a similar nature” will be debated this Thursday in the Assembly of the Republic. The PCP has already made it clear that it does not accept the Festa do Avante! It can be “treated like a festival”. In an interview with the Porto Canal, the communist secretary general admitted that the party does not yet have a closed position, but guaranteed that “the Portuguese communists are very creative.”
The PCP began by affirming, in the penultimate edition of the Avante! Newspaper, that it was already preparing the event. He even announced his intention to celebrate the party only with “Portuguese artists living in Portugal or who speak Portuguese, to support them at this difficult time.” Jerónimo, however, was more cautious, in the interview broadcast this Sunday night, and admits evaluating the evolution of the pandemic and whether there are conditions to celebrate the party in the traditional model.
CDS CRITICA COSTA The controversy with the Festa do Avante! It comes after the communists have been criticized for supporting the May Day demonstration. The CDS has already attacked the Government for not holding the event that marks the return of the communists. “António Costa opens the door to the PCP and closes the door to the country. The government declared a bar open to the PCP, ”said Miguel Barbosa, vice president of the party. On social media, a petition is already circulating to defend “the ban on holding the Avante party in 2020” so that there is “equal treatment” for all Portuguese.
Constitutionalist Vital Moreira also disagrees with the PCP’s interpretation that the communist party should not be equated with a festival. “We don’t play with concepts. Being more than that (rally, exhibitions, debates …), the Festa do Avante! It is above all a music festival, which brings together thousands of spectators, which is what the government’s ban aims to avoid. Will the PCP be able to dispense with this central aspect of its party or will it be able to obtain another derogation of favor, as happened on May 1, again with the blessing of Belém? “Writes the former deputy.
The communist party has been running since 1976 and it did not happen just once. It was in 1987, because the party could not find a space to promote the event. The PCP accused, at that time, the Government led by Casaco Silva of preventing the celebration of the Festa do Avante! in Alto da Ajuda and classified the decision as “discriminatory and persecutory”.
