“Engineer José Sócrates votes for whoever he wants, I have nothing to do with it, it’s his choice. I didn’t ask for his support and I didn’t need his support at this stage”, said this Thursday, November 27th, Henrique Gouveia e Melo, candidate for President of the Republic.
In Barcelos, the admiral said he was surprised by the moment chosen by the former prime minister, one of the defendants in the Marquês case, to announce who he will vote for in next year’s presidential elections. “I found the moment of this support strange, I truly find this moment very strange”, said Gouveia e Melo, quoted by Lusa.
Gouveia e Melo reinforced his position by stating that nothing unites him with the former head of Government. “I have already said in relation to some applications that an ocean separates me from those applications, from the engineer Sócrates the universe really separates me”, he stressed.
He also said that his supporters will not be uncomfortable with Sócrates’ support, “because they know that this support was not wanted, it was not asked for”. “So it has nothing to do with me”he concluded.
Gouveia e Melo’s reaction comes after José Sócrates announced his vote in the presidential elections, scheduled for January 18, during an interview with CNN Portugal. The former prime minister justified his vote for Gouveia e Melo by saying that it is necessary to “guarantee that the extreme right does not come to power”.
“I don’t like voting for the military, but I’m going to vote for him because I think he’s the one who offers the best guarantees that he will never accept the extreme right in power. I think that’s the big thing about these presidential elections,” said Sócrates during the interview, held on Wednesday (26).
On the same day, faced with this support during the debate with Jorge Pinto, the admiral separated himself from Sócrates, considering the “provocative and out of place question”. “Vote for whoever understands,” he said, irritated by the issue.