Documentary: Alberto João Cult

The TVI documentary (link below) looks at how Alberto João is perceived by the population after 36 years in power - it focusses on one of his fans, popularly known as 'laranjinha' = little orange. Laranjinha dresses in orange, her house is decorated in orange and is a shrine to Alberto João. In the annual PSD Festival, she often adds a crown of real oranges to her daily orange attire.

Jardim thinks 'personality cult' is an exageration to describe the blind devotion of some of his followers, but I think Laranjinha would disagree. Although she has no official status, she is present in nearly all official functions, particularly inaugurations - even those where elected oppositon members are barred from being present, hauled away by police or private security, or simply physically attacked by recruited thugs.

To Laranjinha, Jardim is just like Jesus Christ and she always 'senses' when he is away from Madeira and phones the Government headquarters to find out if he is OK. The video can be seen on:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC5wj86CXPU

Jardim's reaction to Albuquerque's challenge

Jardim has remained silent on the subject of Albuquerque’s candidature; his response, however, is given through the Jornal da Madeira, whose editorial line is closely controlled by Jardim and faithfully mirrors his party line and propaganda style:

Albuquerque’s candidature is seen as ‘a badly calculated maneuver’ to ‘strike a blow against the PSD’. Some say Albuquerque ‘is the freemason’s ideal instrument to rupture the PSD from within.’

Sectors close to the PSD leadership warned, ‘Albuquerque risks becoming isolated, as not only does the Party leader, Alberto João Jardim, not discuss questions relating to the party in public, but Albuquerque’s image has already become damaged due to his closeness to the Christian Democrat Party in the last elections. It is now likely to deteriorate further as he is seen to be taking personal advantage of the current difficulties. The worse that could happen to Albuquerque is for him to be seen to be the candidate of the Blandys and the opposition against the PSD’.

Allusions are being made within the Party (i.e. Jardim’s network is spreading the word) that the freemasons are behind Albuquerque’s candidature and that he is also being backed by Blandy through the Diário. ‘Aside from the fact that the Blandy Group has had ties to the Mayor’s family for some time, his brother is a winemaker employed by a firm [Madeira Wine] owned by the same owners of the Diário [i.e. in which the Blandy family are shareholders], which, in a way, contributes to a closer relationship’.

This is a typical Jardim propaganda-piece: An indirect and faceless attack, smearing his rival. Jardim now describes the Mayor resorting to the same terminology he has used for the last 36 years (42 years if you take into account Jardim’s pro-dictatorship propaganda) to discredit the opposition: puppets in the hands of a grand conspiracy of foreigners and secret societies.

Mayor of Funchal challenges Jardim for party leadership

Earlier in the week, the Diário had reported Jardim was going to put forward Sergio Marques, the former MEP, as his candidate for Mayor of Funchal in the elections to be held next year. Bruno Pereira, the current Deputy Mayor, who was being groomed by the Mayor, Miguel Albuquerque, to lead the PSD candidature in the elections, immediately challenged Jardim's choice, saying he would present his own alternative candidature, if necessary as an independent. The majority of the Funchal PSD City Councillors agreed to be on Pereira's list.

Today's Diário announced Miguel Albuquerque would be presenting his candidature for the Madeira PSD party leadership at the forthcoming congress. This is the second time this week that Jardim is challenged from within his own party ranks, and the first time in all his years in power that someone challenges him for party leadership.

Justice System Modernization

The Minister of Justice, Paula Teixiera da Cruz, is proposing new legislation to allow for witness and suspect statements to be videod. This is a welcome measure. Statements taken by the Public Prosecution during an investigation are often reduced to a minimum and are often vague; many are just going through the motions... The new procedure will also have the secondary effect of keeping the inquirers on their toes - particularly in Madeira.

Videoing the statements saves time and is more precise. She is also proposing that these videos could be played back in Court, to refresh memories and reveal contradictions.

The Minister is also proposing to alter the law so that cases cannot prescribe due to abusive use of appeals and clarification requests. The prescritpion time-frame is to be suspended once the lower Court reaches a decision to condemn.

City Councilor target of new acts of vandalism

The car belonging to the brother of city councilor, Gil Canha, was set alight at 1.30 Monday morning. The car was parked in the yard of the residence and was totally destroyed by fire. Gil Canha’s wife’s car was also vandalized the same night, in the indoor parking lot of the block of flats where he resides.

The Madeira Socialist Party leader, Vitor Freitas has alerted President Cavaco to the climate of violence and fear in Madeira, asking him to condemn those who incite violence.

The Funchal City Council today expressed its solidarity with the Canha family and condemned these acts of vandalism and persecution

Budget ‘Debate’: ‘Blessed is the Debt’

The Secretary of Finances, Ventura Garçês, during the budget ‘debate’ (the regiment allows for very little actual debate) quoted Einstein saying that the crisis is the greatest blessing since it brings progress. President Jardim has recently often stated that he only regretted not having made an even bigger debt while was still able to.

The 2011 budget estimated the region could raise 1.119 billion Euros in tax income; the final tax income only reached 667,000 Euros. The 2012 budget estimates a tax income of 792,000 Euros, but even the Secretary of Finances admits that, despite tax increases, they are likely to fall far short of this target.

The Regional Government has submitted a budget of 2.2 billion Euros, far higher than in previous years due to the 1 billion Euro loan from the Portuguese Government, which will go directly towards repaying accumulated debt. However, this sum will not reduce the Madeira debt, since it constitutes a debt transfer.

Although the Government has introduced some cutbacks, it is unclear how much of Madeira’s 6.3 billion debt, if any, will be reduced with this budget.  

Budget debate: Jornal 'helps' the Diário

The Secretary for Social Affairs, Jardim Ramos, explained, during the budget presentation, that the 3 million loan conceded to the government-owned newspaper the Jornal, helped to save the newspaper industry as a whole. The Jornal, he said, is printed in a company belonging to the Diário group. This company receives 1.5 million Euro per year to print the Jornal. If the Jornal closes, he said, the Diário would no longer be economically viable, he argued.