Assunção Cristas, who took over from Paulo Portas as the leader of the CDS - People's Party, has used a cozy chat with the president to launch a fierce attack on the government as it struggles with the fallout from the Pedrógão Grande fires and the theft of significant amounts of military arms and ammunition from the Tancos depot near Santarém. Click HERE
In today's meeting with the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Cristas demanded that the Prime Minister, António Costa returns to Lisbon (he is said to be on vacation on a Spanish island) in order to sack his ministers of defence and of internal affairs.
Cristas spoke to the press shortly after the meeting and claimed that the theft of weapons and the tragedy at Pedrógão Grande are just two examples of the "crisis of authority and trust" that has weakened the country and for which there has to be an explanation.
"These ministers did not know how to live up to their responsibilities, dismissals are inevitable and we have to say it without hesitation: Mr. Prime Minister, come back and fire them."
Crafting a neat soundbite for the media, Cristas said, “There is a crisis of authority, there is a crisis of command, there is a crisis of confidence,” adding that “this situation only will be resolved with the resignation of these two ministers” - Defence Minister, José Alberto de Azeredo Ferreira Lopes and Minister for Internal Administration, Maria Constança Dias Urbano de Sousa.
"Government has been the face of incompetence in areas of sovereignty, in matters of security, whether in civil protection or armaments in State custody."
Cristas said that the Minister for Internal Administration clearly has not got a grip on the aftermath of the fire at Pedrógão Grande but reserved her sharpest criticism for Azeredo Lopes, the Defence Minister, saying that although he has accepted 'political responsibility' for the robbery at the military depot, "we have not seen him take any consequences."
"We feel ashamed when a foreign newspaper (El Español) publishes a list of the stolen material. The Portuguese state has been weakened and yet not a word from the prime minister," said Cristas.
Using her meeting with the President of the Republic as a way of ensuring her views are widely reported, Cristas added her concerns over security at Lisbon airport and the recent theft of handguns from the Public Security Police.
In short, "The trust that we had in State institutions has been broken. The credibility of our country internationally has been called into question. In one case after another, the Government has escaped its responsibilities and is unable to draw conclusions from the mistakes it has made."
