Madeira News Blog

(30th September). Today’s main news headline, pictured with a ‘landscape’ swamped with political posters : ‘Complaints And Threats In The Start Of The Campaign – The election campaign for the local elections started yesterday, marked by incidents from the national elections. The region of São Vicente has already made complaints to the police, about vandalising of posters, and offences by text message’. Election posters belonging to the PS-M socialists were vandalised in the parish of Boaventura, the location where the candidate lives. In addition anonymous SMS text messages have been sent by mobile phone, of an unpleasant nature, being slanderous and blackmailing, to party member(s). "This is a clear act of [bad]intention and with that of course one can not remain indifferent. When it is a moustache, some drawings, these are cases that are not serious. But this is completely different. The entire structure of the sign was destroyed", said the president of PS-M. Asked who might be behind these vindictive actions, the PS top-of-the-list to the local authority in São Vicente says it is "in the eyes of those who want to see. But I’d rather not comment further on this matter. I will let the police investigate". In the 2005 elections similar things happened to property relating to candidates, and the car of the president of PS-M was set alight.

‘Cavaco Silva Adds More Fuel To The Fire’. ‘President of the Republic Accuses Prominent Socialist Leaders Of Manipulation – Cavaco Silva believes that they tried to stick it on the PSD’. Silva made a 10 minute broadcast to the nation last night over the shocking affair of his office being ‘bugged’. He accused "prominent personalities of the party in government" of manipulation, and trying to stick it [the blame] on the national president of the PSD, in order to divert attention during the elections. 

‘ERC Accuses Lack Of Balanced Reporting’. The Regulatory Authority for Social Communication (ERC) issued yesterday a statement outlining the main points of a decision on a complaint made by the PS-M socialists against the newspaper Jornal da Madeira. At issue was the supplement ‘autárquicas2009′ and the fact that in publishing this material, it just referred to the position of the PSD social democrat câmaras, omitting the views of opposition parties. The ERC decided that there was, in that supplement of  J da M, "a blatant violation of the duties of pluralism". The complaint of PS-M alerted to the fact that during the pre-campaign for the elections, the behaviour of the newspaper was detrimental to candidates of the opposition parties. The ERC concluded that "the lack of pluralism in the information provided leads to a serious breach of the principle of equality and impartiality, contributing for the benefit of certain political forces over others". The recommendation of the ERC, which summarizes the deliberations, should be published by the J da M. This ERC sounds like a toothless watchdog to me, if there is no further action taken other the publication of it’s findings. Still, on the positive side, had it given the Jornal a massive fine, who would end up paying it … us taxpayers of course.

‘Câmara ‘obliges’ some to give up school by not paying for student transport – In Câmara de Lobos parents have to pay between 15 and 90 Euros for each child to study’. It is an accusation from the CDU communist party that parents are having to take their children out of school because they don’t have the money to pay for school transport. A CDU spokesman says that the council is one that has "turned its back on education, on the crisis, and on parents that have children studying".

(29th September). The last of today’s headlines : ‘Half [of the ?] Regional Commission Asks Congress – The petition was delivered last week. But the leader Gouveia himself had the idea’. The PS-M socialist leader João Carlos Gouveia has pre-empted critics about the poor showing on Madeira in the elections, and 28 members of the Regional Commission of the Socialist Party last week signed a document asking the chairman of this body to urgently schedule a Congress meeting, with elections to choose new party leader. The initiative was not disclosed, as it was not considered appropriate, being in full campaign for the elections. Various other candidates are discussed. Well, the last two election results already proved what a shambles the PS-M are, and with 2 out of 3 seats lost in the Assembly in Portugal on Sunday, is the hope now that this news will improve matters for the local elections on 11th October? Is the logic there that people are more likely to vote for a PS with a unknown future leader than a poor current leader?

‘Madeira will submit the proposed amendment to the Law of Regional Finance – Jardim counts on the new composition of the parliament and coherence of the parties for the adoption of the revision’. President Jardim announced yesterday that the amendments, proposed by the PSD-M social democrats will be submitted to the Assembly of the Republic. Jardim says that the current law has choked Madeira’s state funding. He was of course hoping that his own PSD party would be be in government, as he had already reached agreement on what would happen, but he will now have to bank on a reduced majority government being out-voted.

The local election campaigns officially restarted today. The PSD-M noise car has already passed my house at least 4 times today.

‘Albuquerque Beats Jardim – Albuquerque has an advantage of nearly 4,000 votes compared to the leader of the PSD-M’. Within 15 days the social democrats will get to know who is worth more in Funchal, the PSD-M president of the câmara or the PSD-M president of Madeira. The two will not be competing head to head, but the comparison of results between legislative (national) and local elections is compulsory, and the same has happened in previous regional elections. Miguel Albuquerque’s support for re-election to Funchal council will have more meaning than ever before, as he is the pretender to the throne of Alberto João Jardim, who is rumoured to be bowing out in 2011. In Sunday’s election Jardim achieved 25,511 votes in Funchal, as top-of-the-list for a seat in the Assembly of the Republic of Portugal, or 43.7% of the vote, a fairly low achievement, whereas four years ago, Albuquerque managed 29,395, or 50.3% of the Funchal vote. What a useless comparison, with people not only voting for different people, but for different things. What would be more useful and entertaining is to give them both a pistol, and have a crack of dawn winner-takes-all duel, on top of a grassy knoll (a contingency plan, just in case they both miss). Not wishing to be politically incorrect (before the blog snipers come along), it would of course all be in fun using paint ball pistols.

The high level of abstention in Funchal is a bit of a concern in Funchal. One of the reasons is explained in today’s Diário : "As reported, Portugal has a huge number of voters who are unable to vote. Because they are dead, or because they live in a foreign country". The latter case gives us some cause for forgiveness, as ballot papers get lost and delayed when sent abroad, as happened in Venezuela at the weekend, but as for the dead voters, do they really have excuses, if so I would like to hear them. And there was me thinking, that in this terminal stage of life, one automatically qualified for an important position in the PSD-M, so does that in fact mean that our current rulers do still have some blood movement in their veins, or is that just afterlife twitching we see?

‘In the series ‘Through Madeira’ : ‘Porto Moniz : ‘People’s tribunals’ still decide’. Residents discuss life in the towns two cafes. They analyse and pass ‘sentences’. The Portuguese Justice System doesn’t know, but in the region of Porto Moniz, two courts exist (‘Relação’ & ‘Supremo’), curiously both quite near the town hall. It is in these two places that the common life and politics of the town are discussed, and ‘sentences’ given out. They article says that if the president of the câmara kept his office window open he would be able to hear what was being said from his desk. The  power of the ‘Supremo’ is sufficient to change the political scene in the area, and the Diário hints that if the outgoing câmara president might have listened more closely, he would still be around to serve another political mandate next month (another Jardim ‘casualty’). The two courts fall into the categories of regular and supreme, and there is a protocol between the two. Rui Nelson, is one of the youngest ‘judges’ of the ‘Relação : "When we do not agree on a certain subject, we take the matter to the Supremo", he said. The Diário, having hyped up the story, then takes it back to reality, a powerless discussion forum … but is it?

(12th September). "Asphyxiation" On Madeira Livens Pre-Campaign – The cases in the public eye give rise to banners, ‘rabbits’ and more complaints’. The political streetware has returned in force in Funchal. The CDU communists were the first, and now the PSD social democrats have followed suit. the ‘rabbit’ of the New Democrats PND are also out in force. Some other parties will not be posting their propaganda, so there may be less ‘rubbish’ spoiling the city for the forthcoming elections. One party said that the financial crisis meant that there would not be posters, and the PS socialists have opted for "other ways of presenting things ". The BE left block have said that the material is "very expensive", and that the national leaders have decided not to produce posters, "reducing pollution in the process".

‘PND Is Going To Make A Complaint Against Funchal Council – The party accuses the council of removing posters’. The New Democratic Party of Madeira will make a complaint to the National Election Commission about the council taking down their political posters in the streets of Funchal, after they were posted on Thursday night. They say the council left their own PSD social democrat posters in place, and those of other parties. The party is also considering a protest at at the council offices, if their posters disappear again, and planned to do a stake out with pickets last night to watch over their propaganda. Funchal council later said that it was a "lapse in council services" and a mistake, and that the posters were being replaced. Recognise the character in the photo? I had a feeling Sr. Coelho was a blog reader.

‘PP Is Going Around On Foot Throughout Funchal For 12 Days’. The first five candidates for the Peoples party, standing for Funchal council, will start on Monday after the national elections, using a 23 seater bus. The strategy of the People’s Party is direct contact with the people. 

In national news, a poll carried out through the TV broadcaster SIC predicts that the PSD social democrats of Madeira will win four of the six places in the Assembly of the Republic in the elections this month. The other two places will go to the PS socialists. Currently the situation is 3 places each between the two parties, but most expected the PSD to romp in with 5 of the 6 places later this month. Nationally the poll indicates a ‘technical draw’ between the PS and PSD, with 33.6% and 32.5% of the vote respectively.

The fallout from last weeks visit of the leader of the PSD social democrats to Madeira continues. Manuela Ferreira Leite, who accompanied president Jardim on official government duties, is still suffering the aftermath back in Portugal, where news of the ‘mishaps’ of the visit reached leaders of other parties, and the recent televised debates between party leaders have been used to exploit these matters. Aside from her classifying Madeira as an example of liberty and democracy, her association with Jardim has left her tarnished, especially after he insulted journalists asking why the official presidency car was being used for party political purposes in taking the PSD leader to the airport. In fact what Jardim said, in English, is repeated again, in English, in today’s newspaper, but again not translated into Portuguese through ‘decorum’. It’s a two word insult that the Diário now describes as famous. Likewise, I wouldn’t repeat it here in English, but in Portuguese it goes something like this ‘vão-se lixar’. We have decorum here as well you know.

The biggest TV ‘face to face’ political debate is tonight, channel SIC at 9.15 pm, between prime minister Sócrates and Manuela Ferreira Leite.

From yesterday’s Jornal da Madeira  : "In politics you must have a humane view" – Alberto João Jardim said that still the important thing is to know how to serve the people’. Jardim says that in politics you have to have a humane view of things, or know to govern for the people, serving all people regardless of their economic or social conditions. The president of Madeira said these things in a speech he made at an inauguration in Madalena do Mar.

In another article in the same newspaper : ‘Investments Should Be Well Considered – Alberto João Jardim says it is necessary to calculate the size and market potential it needs to reach’. Has anyone seen that book I mentioned last month : 100 public works – An A to Z of Doubtful Usefulness. The book gives examples of Madeira’s public works that are total failures, some that were built but were never used, and some that never got off the drawing board, even though significant expenditure was incurred.

Now you know why I don’t go to the Jornal when I want relevant and sensible political reporting. I am not saying it’s not accurate reporting of course, but the Jornal management decide to give such rubbish printed space rather than upset their bosses.