“Unidos Somos Olhão” coalition excluded from local elections

The candidacy of the "Unidos Somos Olhão" coalition, which brought together the Left Bloc, Livre, and PAN, will not advance in the Olhão local elections. The Constitutional Court (TC) rejected the formalization of the project due to "incorrect reproduction of the parties' symbols," a decision that the local Left Bloc structure describes as "a clear injustice."

In a statement, the Olhão BE Municipal Coordinating Committee (CCC) recalls that work to create the movement began “more than a year ago”, with the aim of “disputing an alternative (…) capable of responding to the challenges of the municipality, the failings of the Socialist Party's local governance and resisting the growth of the far right”.

The Left Bloc emphasizes that the typographical error was "promptly corrected and without any impact on the ballot papers or the electoral process," but even so, the Constitutional Court did not consider the irregularity surmountable. The coalition filed an appeal, which was rejected, despite "three dissenting votes in the ruling."

In one of the voting statements, the conviction was expressed that, “once the identified situation was corrected, the issue would be resolved and should not have been considered insurmountable, given the nature of the error and its rapid correction”.

The Bloc also denounces a “double standard”, recalling that “other coalitions, initially rejected by the TC and with more complex non-compliance situations, had the opportunity to submit additional documentation or correct graphics and publish advertisements in the press, considered legal”.

They also emphasize that in these cases the processes were “promptly approved, allowing the respective applications to continue.”

In the statement, Bloco de Esquerda de Olhão thanks the support of militants and independents: “The Municipal Coordinating Committee (CCC) of Bloco de Esquerda de Olhão expresses its deep gratitude to all militants, independents and supporters for the trust and solidarity demonstrated throughout this process.”

The Left Bloc also regrets the "evident duality of criteria and clear injustice that made unfeasible a convergence project that could respond to the needs of our municipality, with fundamental pillars that another candidacy will hardly be able to ensure with the same determination."

And he guarantees that, despite the outcome, the political commitment in Olhão remains: "The Left Bloc reaffirms its commitment to dialogue with the people of Olhão, building a militant and activist mass around the central struggles of our times."