Presidential candidate Luís Marques Mendes argued that a President of the Republic does not have to say everything he thinks, but must think about everything he says, and advised his opponents to follow this maxim. The president spoke to journalists in Braga this afternoon, November 24th.
During a visit to Bananeiro in Braga, a tradition that brings together thousands on Rua do Souto to drink muscatel and eat bananas, Marques Mendes also said that, once the television debates for suffrage are over, he will now talk only about the country.
“The time for politics is over, which I don’t think matters. The only thing I’m going to talk about is the country. I have introduced neither politicking nor personal attacks nor insinuations. I’m going to talk about the country, which is what people want, and I think that’s what is truly mobilizing”, he stressed.
“A President of the Republic does not have to say everything he thinks, but he must think about everything he says. That’s what some of my opponents don’t do, they don’t think about everything they say.”he also mentioned.
It was based on this maxim that Marques Mendes refused to indicate which candidate he would like to face in a second round. “I must say that I have it in my head, but I cannot broadcast it in public,” just declared.
After the current President of the Republic said today that any of the current presidential candidates will probably be better than him in carrying out his duties, Marques Mendes considered it to have been “a gesture of sympathy” from Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
“We are on Christmas Eve, the President is a nice person, he went to drink a ginjinha in Barreiro, as is tradition, and, therefore, I saw these words as a gesture of sympathy from a person who is detached from the place, who is calm, in a good mood, and that’s it, it’s a nice gesture on his part”he said.
Marques Mendes praised the “close relationship” that Marcelo maintained with citizens and promised to follow that record if he wins the presidential election – he even has an initiative in mind. “President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa created the tradition of ginjinha in Barreiro, beautiful. I think I will create the tradition of coming here to Braga, to Bananeiro, every Christmas, being elected President. This commitment remains here”, he said.
Marques Mendes also commented on the situation of closed emergency rooms and the constraints in hospitals this Christmas, admitting that “it’s not good news”, but saying he hopes that the situation “evolves more positively” and that the Ministry of Health “pays close attention to this”.
Asked whether the constraints could have been avoided, the PSD-supported candidate declined to comment. “I didn’t want to go in there. What I hope and wish is that things can be resolved. More important than facing great criticism at this moment is to appeal and challenge that there are solutions”, he concluded. The presidential elections are scheduled for January 18th.