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The president of the CDS, Francisco Rodrigues dos Santos, will convene the National Council of the party and will reflect on the holding of an extraordinary congress. The decision was communicated during the meeting of the national political commission, which took place at dawn from Thursday to Friday, and in which the Christian Democratic leader will have made it clear that he will only resign if and when he sees fit. Yesterday four more leaders resigned.
At the end of the meeting, which was held by videoconference, the CDS leadership informed Lusa that “the party president decided to request the convening of a National Council.” The organization cites sources that guarantee that Rodrigues dos Santos raises two hypotheses: either he admits “it’s time to go” and calls a congress, or he tries to reinforce his position.
The leader will also have informed that he will be in reflection until Monday. The majority of those present at the meeting opposed the congress, but there are more and more voices in the party calling for it. If it happens, it will happen online and in about two months, JN found out.
layoffs and disaffiliation
After the national political commission, there were four layoffs at the CDS. Two were members of that same body: Paulo Cunha Almeida and José Carmo. The others, José Duque and Tiago Leite, involved members of the party’s study cabinet.
On Thursday there were three other dismissals, one of them in charge of Vice President Filipe Lobo d “Ávila. The others were of Raúl Almeida and Isabel Menéres, members of the executive committee.
According to the JN, from a prominent CDS source, there are militants to fear for the survival of the party. The fact that the leadership has admitted to calling a congress will make more and more Christian Democrats believe that this is the only possible way.
All of this occurs in a context of widespread demobilization. There have been numerous layoffs in districts and district structures, as well as mayors from the CDS who reported that they intend to run as independents in the September / October elections, the same source said. “It is a game without public order,” he added, assuming that he has more and more doubts about the competence and maturity of Rodrigues dos Santos. Among the criticisms is also the excessive concern of the president for the “internal control” of the CDS, to the detriment of the country’s destiny.
The resurgence of the challenge to Rodrigues dos Santos – elected in Congress a year ago and with a mandate until 2022 – was triggered by an article by Adolfo Mesquita Nunes, published this Tuesday in the Observer.
The former CDS deputy assures that, if the party now changes its leader, “we still have time for the municipalities.” The Christian Democratic president responded that “it would be bad” if the party he leads “sails with an opinion piece.” At the commission meeting, he will have reinforced that he will only leave when he understands, sources present at the meeting told Lusa.
The truth is that the Mesquita Nunes text has already had several internal consequences. In addition to the seven dismissals in two days, he also led deputy Ana Rita Bessa to ask for a “new cycle” in the party: “If this cycle passes through Adolfo Mesquita Nunes, I will have no doubts in accompanying him.”
On Thursday, Nuno Melo defended, on RTP2, that Rodrigues dos Santos “stopped being able” to continue ahead of the CDS. The MEP argued that the party is “divided” and that it will soon have to “fight for survival”.
Liberal Initiative flashes Mesquita Nunes
The former deputy of the CDS and Secretary of State of the Government of Passos Coelho, Adolfo Mesquita Nunes, has been welcoming the sympathy of the Liberal Initiative (IL) – and, in particular, of the former leader Carlos Guimarães Pinto. In 2020, he said he would support Mesquita Nunes for the presidency.
This month, both announced the creation of the + Liberdade Institute, which will promote economic liberalism. “The place of people like Mesquita Nunes is no longer in the CDS,” Guimarães Pinto told the Observer. JN contacted the centrist activist, who declined to comment.
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