Portuguese Elections: opposition reaction

Manuela Ferreira Leite of the centre-right Social Democratic Party has made a speech at her party’s headquarters.

She congratulated the winners, saying that Portugal had chosen her government “in all serenity”. She then thanked her activists, campaigners, voters and supporters, before going on to say that the Social Democratic Party was the responsible alternative and democracy only exists when there is a responsible alternative.

“We will continue with our struggle,” she said, “and we will continue with all our intelligence and our strength to fight for the well-being of Portuguese society.” She went on to say that she had presented the policies that she thought were necessary but the results of the election are not what she had hoped for. She noted however that the election was part of a political process that would take place in three parts and that the next part of the process would be the local elections on 11th October. “The fruit of our recent work,” she said, “will be to become the biggest party in local government.”

She went on to promise that the party would concentrate their efforts on the forthcoming elections and that she would call a national congress of the party to analyse the election results.

She finished “long live our party. Long live Portugal!”

By Samantha David

Copyright © 2009 euronews

tags: Politics, Portugal, Portuguese election