André Ventura said that he will call António José Seguro, his rival in the second round of the presidential elections, this Thursday, February 5th, trying to convince him that going to the polls should be postponed a week, until February 15th, due to the meteorological phenomena that caused destruction in some areas of Portugal.
“No one wants half the country to vote and the other half not,” said Ventura, after leaving lunch with mayors elected by Chega, in São Bartolomeu de Messines, in the municipality of Silves, where he announced that he would propose the postponement of the second round of the presidential elections.
Regarding what he will discuss with António José Seguro, who the DN/Aximage poll revealed this Thursday indicates that victory is guaranteed, Ventura said that “today we can start the first steps, legally and politically, to have a solution in legal terms”.
Asked whether this would imply that a state of emergency would be declared across the entire national territory, the Chega leader said that, “regardless of the legal instrument that may be used, we cannot have a part of the country being disregarded and left to its fate”.
The candidate also referred to a meeting of the National Elections Commission, which will take place this Thursday, asking for a consensus to prevent “people without water, without a roof and without a supply of essential goods from having to vote”.
Ventura argued that, if the postponement only occurs in the most affected municipalities, such as Alcácer do Sal, these voters will be “second-class”. And he added the argument that there are also those who have moved from areas not affected by the bad weather, seeking to help with reconstruction efforts, and who may also be prevented from exercising their right to vote if the second round of the presidential elections are held next Sunday, February 8th.
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