As the country digests allegations of sexual harassment against presidential candidate João Cotrim de Figueiredo, the truth is that his popularity in the contest appears not to have been too negatively affected.
Days from the final moments for campaigning (Friday), and Cotrim de Figueiredo is tipped as one of the possibles to reach the ‘final round’ of voting, scheduled for February 8.
Unless another candidate manages to take more than 50% of the nation’s votes on Sunday – something no poll seems to consider likely – and irrespective of these allegations, João Cotrim de Figueiredo’s chances of passing into the second round are ‘looking buoyant’.
Certainly his name was all over the nation’s news last night – and not solely because of the allegations.
But as to these ‘allegations’: they may have been leaked in order to damage the chances of the presidential candidate representing Iniciativa Liberal.
According to Observador online, the party itself has known about these allegations for two years (even though Cotrim de Figueiredo said that he only learnt about them on Sunday).
They emanate from a legal advisor now working for the AD government – which is already understood to be ‘vexed’ by the perceived dwindling popularity of its preferred candidate for the presidency, former party leader Luís Marques Mendes.
“They want to bring us down”, Cotrim de Figueiredo tells Correio da Manhã – convinced that the whole episode is a ‘political manoeuvre’.
The content of the allegations is now ‘everywhere’, having been posted online on Instagram – giving quite vivid examples of the alleged harassment.
The question does have to be asked, nonetheless: if this all happened (and in such graphic language), why has the legal advisor not made more of a fuss about it? She left her post working for IL (when these incidents are alleged to have taken place) over two years ago, and has been working for the Secretary of State for the Communities, Emídio Sousa, since last year – having previously worked with him at the Ministry of Environment.
Observador adds that it has been in contact with the young woman (Inês Bichão) who “did not want to make any statement or even confirm the veracity of the image” posted.
Cotrim de Figueiredo, however, has made a number of statements – including confirmation that he will be filing an action for defamation.
Cotrim de Figueiredo has also said that, in his opinion, it is “relevant” to know that “in a sovereign organ of the nation there is someone who publishes lies”.
Source: Correio da Manhã/ Observador
