On March, 3 the Movement of Socialist Alternative (MAS), Portuguese section of the IWL-FI, saw its registration as a party denied by the Constitutional Court (TC), after delivering 9259 signatures, two thousands more than what was demanded by legislation. Several voices – as Antonio Marinho Pinto and Daniel Oliveira – denounced in the press this attempt at silencing a new left alternative.
A petition with more than 30 personalities – from Ana Drago to Vasco Lourenço Marques, Chullage and Viriato Soromenho – requesting a review of the decision was delivered to the TC. Also came to the TC signatures of Brazilian representatives and senators, as well as dozens of trade unionists and activists from Italy, Spain, Argentina and Brazil. Despite this, the TC did not accept the appeal presented by MAS.
Given this, the MAS will deliver again this Friday May, 24, over 10,000 signatures to the Constitutional Court for a new application to its registration as a party. It will be, in a very short span, the second delivery of signatures. Both amount to almost 20 thousand citizens supporting MAS recognition.
The number of signatures, more than the previous one, not only demonstrates that the MAS is present and active, as makes it clear the will of thousands of people who want to see this party legalized. We want to give voice to the voiceless, to renew the Portuguese party system and propagate in the national elections the proposals that have already made the MAS known: imprisonment for those who stole and indebted the country; a referendum on the euro and suspension of public debt payment. At the end, the TC couldn’t prevent this new political alternative from coming to the Portuguese people.
