At the end of the PSD/Azores Regional Council meeting, held today in Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, the president of that body, Pedro Nascimento Cabral, said that it was unanimously approved “that the PSD should join forces with the CDS-PP and the PPM” to run in the next regional elections.

The same body also unanimously nominated the party’s president, José Manuel Bolieiro, to head the coalition running for the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

“This was a unanimous choice. It was a choice that was acclaimed and, therefore, the President of the Regional Government of the Azores, as of today, has the party legitimacy to head the governing coalition with the PSD, CDS-PP and PPM,” said Pedro Nascimento Cabral.

According to the Social Democrat, the meeting also unanimously approved the postponement of the congress, which was scheduled to take place at the end of January 2024, and the definition of the criteria for choosing candidates for the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region (since the regional elections may be brought forward) and the Assembly of the Republic.

The president of the PSD/Azores Regional Council explained that the criteria for choosing candidates, among others, “are based on trust and commitment to the PSD” and its electorate, identification with the PSD/Azores, work, experience and willingness to serve the PSD and the Azoreans.

Pedro Nascimento Cabral explained that the process of drawing up the lists “will be quick, given the deadline for their delivery to the Court, which should be December 22”, and that the Local Political Committees will present their proposals to the Island Political Committees and, finally, to the Regional Political Committee.

The Social Democrat pointed out that the date for submitting the lists assumes that the Council of State meeting will decide to call early elections on February 4, 2024.

The party leader considered that “a fruitful dialogue in the process of drawing up the lists with the coalition’s political partners is essential, based on the principle of proportionality and representativeness, which are fundamental for the government project to win.”

“The PSD/Azores has been working with this determination and with this objective since the first day that the possibility of early regional elections, suggested by José Manuel Bolieiro to the President of the Republic, was raised,” he said.

Since then, he continued, “all the structures have started to implement the procedures laid down in the PSD/Azores statutes”.

Also, according to the president of the PSD/Azores Regional Council, today’s meeting of the party’s highest body between congresses showed “great motivation to continue the work that the Regional Government [PSD/CDS-PP/PPM] is doing in the region, of merit, of progress and which is raising the Azores to new levels of development.”

in Açoriano Oriental from a LUSA news service

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Cultures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance)  at California State University, Fresno