“I only vote if the cameras are off.” Adão Silva succeeds Rio, but 81% does not mean peace on the bench – Observer

As expected, Adão Silva was elected PSD parliamentary leader, succeeding Rui Rio. The result of 81% of the votes could mean that the group is pacified, but there was confusion during the vote. When the deputies arrived at the room, there was no voting booth and the moment was being recorded through video and photography. As there was only one list, when forced to vote in front of the cameras, some deputies understood that they were being conditioned. Pedro Pinto, who tried to form a list against Adão Silva, asked not to be filmed and said: “I only vote if the cameras are off“. After voting, Pedro Pinto asked that the camera be turned on again and recorded a protest statement so that his outrage would be recorded. As a result of this confusion, the deputies critical of Rio admit that the observer comes to present a complaint to the Council of Jurisdiction.

Several deputies confirmed to the Observer that the vote was held in a small room (towards the bench) and that there were four people inside: the official photographer, the cameraman, the group’s chief of staff and a secretary. Pedro Pinto, who tried to make a list against Adão Silva, confirmed to the Observer that he protested that he was being filmed and photographed at the time of the vote.

When he announced the victory, Adão Silva considered the allegations about “the electoral act itself” “quite surprising”. “That was always how we did it. There are always footage and photographs,” said the newly elected parliamentary leader. He added: “There were two or three objections. The machines were turned off and no photographs were taken ”.

Deputies critical of the current leader confirm, in fact, that it had already been the case in the election of Rui Rio, but not in the previous ones. In addition, there was something unprecedented: a single ballot for the board of directors and for coordinators and vice-coordinators. What does it mean? That there was no option for the deputies to vote for one form for the coordinators (as happened in the election of Fernando Negrão, elected with only 39% of the votes) and another for the leadership. The model of the past allowed the coordinating deputies to vote for themselves, but to abstain when choosing the leadership. The model imposed on this occasion obliges all coordinators to vote in the direction of the bank in order to vote for themselves.

Adão Silva, in his speech after the results, described the results as “very substantive” (they are less than 89.9% of Rui Rio, but more than 39% of Fernando Negrão) and said that he expected a “dedicated parliamentary group” and “committed”. The new president of the parliamentary group also spoke of “unity”, despite the “vicissitudes” that marked the day.