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“My first word is to tell you that I am a candidate for the Presidency of the Republic“, said Marcelo,” because there is a pandemic to face and a crisis to overcome. ”
“I will not leave in the middle of a demanding hike,” he promised. “I will not shirk my responsibilities, I will not trade what we all know will be the adversities and unpopularities of tomorrow for the personal or family comfort of today. Because, as five years ago, I am fulfilling a duty of conscience.”
Regarding the moment of announcing his decision, Marcelo explained that “he wanted to make fundamental decisions as president and not as a candidate” regarding the restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Whoever advances for this election is exactly the same as five years ago,” Marcelo also assured, assuming as an “independent president.” that he will play the role “with proximity, with unconcern, with democratic pluralism, but dialogue and convergence in essence, with an independent President, who is not unstable, rather stabilizes, who does not divide, rather unites the Portuguese, and who always pulls of what the best exists “.
Marcelo stressed that the country needs a president “to stabilize.” In his words, the desire to continue with the same style and program of the last five years is glimpsed, although the political reality is radically different from that of 2016.
“I always tried to do the best that I knew and could, thinking of the public and not of personal interest,” he said, in a brief balance of the last five years and proudly assuming Portuguese, Universalist, Social Democrat, Catholic and Republican.
“Portuguese, Portuguese, the choice is yours,” challenged the candidate. “I humbly await your verdict.”
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa chose the Versailles pastry shop in Belém to make the announcement, broadcast live at 6 pm, on televisions and on YouTube and without the right to questions or answers.
Due to the current limitations imposed by the control of the Covid-19 pandemic, the statement was accompanied by only two reporters of video images.
The space where Versalles is now located, on the corner of Rua da Junqueira and Calçada da Ajuda, right next to the Belém Palace, served as the campaign headquarters of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa for the 2016 presidential elections.
About to turn 72, on December 12, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was elected president of the Republic in the first round in the elections of January 24, 2016, with 52 percent of the votes cast.
For these new elections, Marcelo, who became known as “president of the affections”, leads all the polls by a wide margin.
Whats Next
On November 24, the President of the Republic scheduled the presidential elections for January 24, 2021.
Therefore, the candidates for the presidency must formally present themselves to the Constitutional Court no later than 30 days before the elections, on December 24, proposed by a minimum of 7,500 and a maximum of 15,000 voters, and the electoral campaign will take place from January 10-22. .
Under the law, If none of the candidates obtains more than half of the validly cast votes, excluding blank votes, a second vote will be taken, 21 days after the first., between the two most voted candidates, in this case, it will be February 14.
The next President of the Republic will take office before the Assembly of the Republic on March 9, 2021, the last day of the current five-year term of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Pressures
A retired law professor, former PSD president and political commentator on television, he assumed leadership of the state on March 9, 2016.
Last week, On the sidelines of a commemorative ceremony on December 1, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa told reporters that he has received “various pressures of various kinds, and in recent weeks even those who send signatures, collect signatures, send letters ”, to re-apply.
“But the decision is mine. The decision obeys one objective: it is to wait for a moment in which I still have to intervene as President of the Republic within the framework of the state of emergency, only after that do I feel that I must make the decision and communicate it to the Portuguese, “he added.
On September 26 of this year, the PSD National Council approved a motion in support of the possible presidential reelection of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, proposed by the party leadership, with 87% of the votes in favor.
In turn, the PS decided that the orientation for the presidential elections will be the freedom to vote, without indication of the preferred candidate.
However, the motion approved on November 7 by the PS National Commission, the highest body among Congresses, refers to a “positive assessment” of the mandate of the current President of the Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, although it also welcomes the candidacy of the socialist Ana Gomes.
