The PCP (Portuguese Communist Party), has already requested that Alberto João Jardim be heard by the Enquiry Commission, who are investigating the statements made by Sérgio Marques in an interview with DN Lisboa, about ‘invented works’ within the Regional Government of Madeira.
Entrepreneurs Luís Miguel Sousa and Avelino Farinha have already been questioned by the Committee of the Regional Assembly, while Madeiran President Miguel Albuquerque opted for the right to respond in writing.
These three were called by the Portuguese Socialist Party (PS). That was until the Portuguese Communist Party entered the fray. They now want to call the former President of the Regional Government, Alberto João Jardim in for questioning. The ex-president has already mentioned in public that he will have ‘great pleasure’ in testifying before the Enquiry Committee. This in itself has caused quite a stir.
On Wednesday afternoon, in the programme Política 5.0 of 88.8 JMFM, led by Miguel Guarda, Ricardo Lume, the only deputy of the PCP, who sits on this committee, shared the position of his party.
“I can reveal here first-hand that the PCP today filed a request for the former President of the Regional Government, Alberto João Jardim to be heard in the Commission.” For this to happen, the PSD majority has to enable this hearing, but Ricardo Lume warns, from the outset that “it would be very strange for the PSD to prevent this hearing when Alberto João Jardim himself has already made himself available.”
Moreover, the communist deputy reiterates that “it is important to continue to listen to people,” stating that to his understanding, the commission has already highlighted new facts and among these, Ricardo Lume stressed, that “it was proven that in 2015 there was a project to renew the PSD and diversify the regional economy and that two groups put the Government in Court. In 2017 everything changed with the remodeling of the Government, who then started paying attention to Sérgio Marques ‘invented/less priority works.’
However, in a dramatic ‘U-turn’ the former President of Madeira stated that he is unavailable to talk to fascists! This is strange, considering the PCP is a communist party!
The former president of the Regional Government told media outlet JM, that he is unavailable to participate in the Parliamentary Enquiry Commission.
“I do not accept calls from fascist parties. I would accept it from the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, but never from fascist parties,” reaffirms Alberto João Jardim, hours after the PCP’s request for the former president to also be heard in the Parliamentary Enquiry Commission was defeated.
He also told Sérgio Marques, who had invited him (Alberto João Jardim) to “a public conversation” on issues of interest to the Region, to take a hike, as the discussion would be staged!
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
