Opposition Coalition Fiasco

After the success of the coalition for change in the municipal elections, momentum was gathering for an enlarged coalition to topple the PSD at the forthcoming elections. This looks increasingly unlikely.

Following the purge at the City Hall, last year, when the Mayor ditched three of his elected councillors, with the backing of the Socialist party, the oposition momentum disappeared. The New Democracy Party left the coalition and the Bloco Esquerda has rejected joining a new coalition for the regional elections. The Socialist Party is now negotiating a much reduced coalition with the Labour Party (PTP), Earth Party (MPT) and Party for the Animals and Nature (PAN).

The Christian Democrats CDS had mooted joining a coalition with the Socialists if the candidate for the Presidency of the Regional Government would be someone other than Vitor Freitas, the current Socialist Leader. Vitor has no curriculum and even less charisma and is not taken by the electorate as a serious candidate for heading a government. The New Democracy Party would also consider joining a coalition, if the candidate was someone else.

Last week, the Funchal constituency of the Socialist Party, lead by Iglesias, called for Vitor to reconsider his candidature and open the possibility for a broader coalition, namely with the CDS.
There were moves also to evict the Labour Party of José Manuel Coelho, from a such a coalition between the CDS and the Socialists. Judging by the comments on the Diário news article, Igleasias' plea was also a manouver to put forward Cafofo, the new Mayor of Funchal as a coalition candidate (Iglesias is his right hand man).

 However, the Socialist Party has other much more credible, experienced and appealing possible candidates. It looks unlikely that any of these will step forward, however, and that a split opposition will hand a new overall majority to Albuquerque's PSD.

Purge at City Hall

The New Democracy Party has quit the Coalition for Change in the City of Funchal.

The newly elected Mayor, Paulo Cafofo, took a unilateral decision to remove the responsibilities of members of his executive, without consulting, never mind obtaining the consent of the coalition parties.

Three out of the five members of the executive resigned: Filipa Jardim Fernandes, vice deputy Mayor responsible for finances; Gil Canha, responsible for urban planning and markets; and Edgar Silva responsible for social services.

The decision to strip Canha of the responsibilities of markets and inspections was never justified, apart from a wet statement that the Mayor wanted a city that 'facilitated'.

Cafofo's gamble is seen on the one hand to have been an 'offering' to the Sousa group and to vested interests of groups linked to Jardim's party, on the hand a move to consolidate the power of the Socialist Party in the City Hall.

The Chair of the City Assembly, Luisa Clode, also resigned her post at the same time. The Coalition's position in the Assembly is now even more precarious, with the loss of the three members elected by the New Democracy Party, but curiously the PSD did not present an alternative list for the electing the new chair.

The new chair, Rodrigo Trancoso of the Left Block, was duly elected without difficulty

Former Madeira Socilaist leader acquitted of difamation

João Carlos Gouveia, former leader of the Socialist Party in Madeira was today acquitted of difamation.

The acusation reported to the period of the 2005 Municipal Elections when Gouveia was candidate for Mayor of São Vicente and the commander of the Vouluntary Firemen stood as a candidate for the PSD

In an interview to the Tribuna newspaper, the accused had stated: There is no sense in the current high level of conflictuality, when the person in charge of the the firemen threatens his subalterns that they may loose their jobs if they don't vote for the PSD.

The judge maintained that the words of the accused, whose car was set on fire during the election campaign, were acceptable as part of the freedom of expression and criticism within the context of political speech, although he admonished the accused for being unable to prove what he had said in the interview.

Gouveia was also acquitted for allegedly distributing political propaganda on the pre-election day of reflection. Gouveia had distributed a letter in defending his honour in answer to a letter smearing his name, distributed by PSD members on the last day of the election campaign.

Portuguese Parliament debate on Madeira’s Democratic Deficit, 1992

In May 1992, the Portuguese Parliament held a debate on the democratic deficit in Madeira. The speech of the Socialist MP, Jaime Gama, addressed the issues of the asphyxiating effect of party-political power on the administration, economy and society; the lack of control in the regional accounts; the government’s control over media; the climate of permanent intimidation; the disrespect for the opposition; the quest for constant conflicts with institutions; and the isolationist conception of autonomy:

‘4 – A climate of intimidation against those who disagree.

When, everywhere, democratic powers nurture criticism, independent judgment, analytic spirit, controversy, disagreement and the open confrontation of opinions, the Regional Government of Madeira systematically intimidates all those who dare to differ.

Government communiqués which, in principle, should be destined to clarify the population on matters of public interest are frequently used to insult the authors of any observation that does not conform to the official viewpoint.

The President of the Regional Government does not refrain from grossly insulting any citizen who exercises his right to air any heterodox view on the merits of the regional administration.

Civil servants are forbidden from airing their opinion (they are criminally sued) and their advisory statements (pareceres) are obliged to be free of any views that discord with the Regional Government.

In a traditional society, where nobody welcomes to see their name attacked or insulted, the intimidating weight of  verbal terrorism – to which the principal leader of the Government and the PSD leader of the regional parliament systematically resort to – is a powerful inhibiting factor and apolitical obstacle.

The reinforcement of autonomy in Madeira absolutely requires an end to this sort of practice. Democracy is not the tyranny of the majority.

5. The disrespect for the opposition – for all and any opposition -, namely in the Regional Parliament.

For the power installed in Madeira, the opposition is not another form of serving the interests of the archipelago, a possible alternative to the regional government or a healthy and necessary supervisor of acts of government. No! The opposition are purely and simply a band of criminals, who are treated like animals rather than decent citizens.

Whether a Communist or a Christian Democrat, an independant or a Socialist, anyone who opposes the PSD/Madeira has no reason whatsoever to exist. They are reduced to nothing, to a species of the most abject and despicable beings, their harassment as turncoats, delinquents or traitors, is one of the most perturbing aspects of the philosophy and practice of the regional PSD.

It is this totalitarian slide – which only does not reach a higher level of final implementation due to the national context – that leads to the level at which the Regional Parliament function:, a parliament where it is extremely difficult and indeed rare to be able to challenge the Government, to hold question and answer sessions, to obtain answers to requests or to constitute Commissions of Inquiry…

6 The search for a systematic confrontation with institutions

The logic of the behavior of the PSD Madeira has for long been that of de facto power, above all institutions and against them all.

For 16 years, the region has lived without a defined statute, a whim long tolerated and systematically used in a blind paranoia of confrontation from which no one escapes.

A trade union, an association or a party disagree – they are summarily tried, condemned and politically executed.

A businessman does not walk along the right corridors to win good grace – he is a vulgar capitalist.

A journalist, or a newspaper, does not obey – it will receive no subsidies, its (government) publicity will be cut, an edition or even the company will be bought, they are insulted and slandered.

A Bishop dares to refer to conditions of extreme poverty and promiscuity – there is an official communiqué against him.

The police or the courts want to exercise their functions in an independent manner – they must be regionalized.

The Armed Forces are not consistent with the whims of the regional authorities – they are a band of effeminate cowards.

The Minister of the Republic dares to veto a bill – he’s  ‘cuban’.

The Prime Minister and the Government will not pay off the [region’s] debt – ‘we don’t need the national PSD for anything and if need be we can always resort to those arguments that everyone knows’ [i.e. the independence of Madeira]

The Portuguese Parliament wants to discuss Madeira – it is not competent and its members, beginning with those of the PSD, belong to a base political class.

The President of the Republic says there is a democratic deficit in the Region – he does not deserve that people get out of bed to reelect him.

This activism, which feeds itself on the still unrelenting conspiracy against Madeira, devastates all and leaves no one standing…

Nothing has changed since 1992 and all these traits have only become exacerbated with time.

Court of Appeal acquits former PS leader of slandering Jardim

The Court of Appeal has acquitted the former PS leader João Carlos Gouveia of libel. Gouveia had said that the problem with Madeira was that Jardim was its nº1 enemy. Jardim 'uses illicit means and foments corruption with the only objective of winning elections', he said. He abhors working and spends his time traveling'. 

Gouveia had been acquitted in the lower court. This judgement adds that the considerations made by João Carlos Gouveia are not without a factual basis and that there is reason to limit freedom of expression in a democratic society: 'on the contrary, such exercise is concretely suited to the scrutiny of political agents'. The judges then cite President Truman's saying, 'if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen 

Former Socialist EuroMP's Jeep set on fire

A doctor's car, parked on the road beside his residence, was set on fire at 3.30 on Sunday morning. Quinidio Correia, a former Socialist Party EuroMP, reacted saying he believed this act of vandalism was politically motivated. The night before, the car belonging to the brother of a PND city councillor had also been set on fire. 'I don't believe it was a mistake. I think it was intentional', Dr Correia said to the DN. 'If the other fire had political connotations, its logical that this one also has.' 'I begin to be afraid to live in a society such as this'.

Vitor Freitas elected leader of Madeira Socialists

Vitor Freitas has been elected leader of the Socialist Party in Madeira. A good speaker and an able politician, he is close to the Party grass roots. He previously contested the elections against Jacinto Serrão, losing by a narrow margin; this time he has won with a comfortable majority. Vitor is widely popular and is seen as someone able to galvanize change in the Socialist Party and in the opposition as a whole.

Former PS leader absolved in Jardim Libel Case

João Carlos Gouveia, the former leader of the local Socialist Party has been absolved of libel in a case brought against him by the President of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Jardim. Gouveia had accused Jardim of ‘using illicit means and fomenting corruption with the single objective of winning elections’. Jardim, who regularly makes far worse accusations against whoever he pleases and hides behind his political immunity, alleged that this statement caused him anguish and that it perturbed his personal and political life. The judge found there was no illicit behavior on the part of the accused.

Jardim said he would contest the judgement. ‘As you know’, he said ‘there exists some tensions between certain agents of justice in the region and the regional power. This is undeniable and its not worth being hypocritical and trying to hide this’.