The Liberal Initiative (IL) announced this Sunday that the party will go to elections in December and that João Cotrim Figueiredo, its current leader, “will no longer be a candidate”. The decision was announced in a statement from the party.
In IL’s statement, the Liberals claim they are “a party of ideas and also another party in terms of leadership change”, with Cotrim Figueiredo leaving the leadership “after having achieved an excellent result in the last parliamentary election”. [a IL passou de um deputado único, Cotrim Figueiredo, para um grupo de oito parlamentares].
According to the statement, “The IL Executive Committee has asked the National Council to also schedule Executive Committee elections at the next National Convention, with the aim of aligning the mandates of all statutory bodies.” It also aims to renew the global strategy motion, taking into account “the political framework resulting from the last parliamentary elections”, thus refining the strategy for future elections.
Elections to the new constitution of all IL bodies will take place in December, at the party’s VII National Convention. “This National Convention, of an elective nature, will be open to the participation of all members and will elect the new Executive Committee” of the IL, which also approves the global strategy motion for the next two years, the party specifies.
— João Cotrim Figueiredo (@jcf_liberal) October 23, 2022
In a communication from João Cotrim Figueiredo to the militants and later published on social media, the now-outgoing leader speaks of a decision that is “personally and politically difficult, but is based on an objective political analysis and is intended to set an example.” his” of his conviction to liberal ideas. “The party needs a more combative, more popular and more inclusive stance at the national level and I understand that I am not the right person to lead this change,” he adds, as “the work of opposition to an absolute majority and the positioning of the different parties implies a different approach than has been followed so far.”
Despite the resignation of the post, the Liberal Initiative guarantees that “Cotrim Figueiredo will remain available to strengthen the political project of the party in what the new leadership deems useful”. For now, the Liberal leader’s future is not entirely clear.
Once elected, the new party leadership will face the regional elections in Madeiras in 2023 and later, in 2024, the European and regional elections in the Azores.
Internal opposition speaks of ‘surprise’
Faced with the news of Cotrim’s resignation from the fate of the IL, the internal opposition says in statements to the DN that the decision to go to elections in December “is understood by the need to homogenize the dates of the mandates, because the Executive Committee would have more a year ahead”. The surprise, says Nuno Simões de Melo, “is Cotrim’s non-re-application”.
Armed with the words of the outgoing leader, Simões de Melo states that: “in fact it is necessary that there is a more combative attitude and the party has more than enough cadres to secure its future fate”. And with the change in party leadership, Simões de Melo says he believes in “a change in combativeness in the near future”. The aim is for the party to “be more assertive and fight to make Portugal more liberal”.
As the main face of one of the candidate lists – List B – Nuno Simões de Melo guarantees: “We will not give up on our mission: to make Portugal more liberal and give the party a more assertive stance.”
MP names leader
Meanwhile, IL deputy Rui Rocha has already announced his candidacy for the seat Cotrim will leave in December.
In a statement published on social media, Rui Rocha announced that he decided to run for leadership of the party, under “two fundamental objectives: to continue the current success of the IL and popularize liberalism across the country, with liberal ideas and values are affirmed with conviction and humility.” To transform Portugal into a more prosperous, fairer and freer country.”
“With me, the Liberal Initiative will be the party of all liberals and of those who believe in Portugal and its people, in work, in merit and in its recognition,” the delegate announced.
Source: DN
