The presidential candidate and leader of Chega, André Ventura, set this Thursday (October 23) the objective of being the candidate with the most votes in the first round of the January elections, and having the “most significant possible” result in a second round.
“Chega supported, highlighted and addressed this support, which I am very honored by, with the clear objective of winning the first round of the face-to-face elections in January and being able to win or have the most significant result possible in the second round, which shows that our support base, that the movement that supports this movement to revive the country, that this movement to revive the country, is alive, is strong and is today the strongest political movement in Portugal”he stated.
The leader of Chega spoke to journalists at the headquarters of this political force, in Lisbon, at the end of a meeting of the National Directorate, in which the party’s support for his presidential candidacy was formalized. According to the candidate, and president of the National Board, this decision was unanimous.
André Ventura said that his candidacy is personal, but “which is founded and has a very deep root in what has been the growth and implementation of Chega throughout the country”.
Therefore, the candidate wants “mobilize the electorate that has come to trust in Chega and expand this base of support to those who want a country truly free of corruption, to those who want a country that can control the uncontrolled immigration that it has had, but also affirm the values of the homeland and the nation”.
Still, he said he is not going to these elections, “neither with the guarantee, nor with the fear, of not having the result of the legislation” of May, one million and 400 thousand votes.
“The Portuguese on the 18th of May gave Chega an incredibly high result, we haven’t won yet, but it was an incredibly high result. I want to have that result, I will fight to overcome that result, but I will accept the people’s verdict”he said.
And it is a “unity” candidacy with the mayors and party leaders, he said, indicating that “he wants to go further and show that the growth that the party has had will now be shaped into a great movement of political dynamism that will take at least until the second round of these presidential elections”.
Ventura also defended that this is “the only patriotic candidacy” for the January presidential elections.
The presidential candidate and president of the party also indicated that the other 59 deputies that make up the parliamentary group will sign “a declaration of support also for this presidential candidacy”.
André Ventura also said that the party’s decision to support his candidacy does not need to be taken by the National Council, and that this body will not meet again before the presidential elections.
“There was a National Council, this position was expressed. There needed to be a meeting of the National Management that would formalize this support and that would formally state, for all political, legal purposes, etc., that the party supports this candidacy, it was this act that took place today and it is following this National Council that took place”he explained.