A week ago, as expected, the PSD/CDS government had its program rejected. It was thus proved that the nomination of Passos Coelho constituted, under the conditions it was made, an unwarranted act, determined not for reasons of institutional response but an attempt by the President of the Republic to try to save the PSD/CDS coalition. And so, more than 40 days have gone by since the October 4 elections.

Defeated as the government PSD/CDS government is, Cavaco Silva, defying the will of the majority of the MPs, is deliberately delaying the only constitutional way out he has to follow, that is, swear in the governing solution that clearly meets every condition to be materialized.

By delaying the decision that he is compelled to make and that the situation demands, by favouring contacts and hearings with big business representatives at the expense of constitutionally contemplated consultation bodies, postponing the necessary and mandatory consultation of political parties with parliamentary representation, feeding false solutions, Cavaco Silva once again chooses to seek to intervene to help the party to which he belongs, even if this means defying the Constitution, other organs of sovereignty and the democratic regime.

We reaffirm today what we have stated before. There is a majority of MPs who constitute sufficient condition for the formation of a PS initiative government, which allows the presentation of the programme, its taking office and the adoption of a policy to ensure a lasting solution, in terms of the legislature. There is no excuse or objective institutional reason to justify the attitude of the still President of the Republic. There is no reason, at the expense of the normal functioning of the institutions, to maintain any longer the PSD/CDS government in management. There is no reason to deliberately drag a situation that in itself is a factor of political, economic and social destabilisation. There is no reason why the President of the Republic, in view of the clear and public affirmation of the four parties which have a majority of seats in the Assembly, should demand conditions and guaranties that he clearly did not demand, and knew did not exist, to impose the nomination of Passos Coelho and the formation of a PSD/CDS government.

Any attempt by Cavaco Silva to seek to subvert the Constitution of the Republic will have a corresponding democratic response, from the workers and the people. Hence Cavaco Silva assumes full responsibility for the political and institutional consequences of any decisions that, by act or omission, contribute to degrade the national situation and promote a confrontation between organs of sovereignty.

Let the popular will prevail!

Let the will of the majority of the MPs in the Assembly of the Republic prevail!

Let the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic prevail!