Former SDP President Rui Rio today marked the end of his duties as deputy to the Assembly of the Republic, saying he is ending a “phase” in his life.
“From today, I cease the functions of a deputy. I no longer hold any political position, thus completing a stage in my life, ”the message on the social network Twitter says.
Rui Rio, who led the PSD from 2018 to July of this year, also left a message for both his supporters and his political opponents.
“To all who trusted me, my heartfelt gratitude. To those who do not agree with me, I honestly and politely convey my democratic greetings,” he said.
Rui Rio has been deputy since 2019, having served in these positions between 1991 and 2001 and then served as mayor of Porto for another ten years.
A source from the Social Democrats’ bench confirmed to Lusa on Monday that former SDP president Rui Rio had already submitted his resignation as an MP, and former parliament leader Paulo Mota Pinto had asked for a five-month suspension.
The news of the resignation of Rio and Mota Pinto from Parliament, which was already expected, was reported by the newspaper Público and is to be announced at the first plenary session after the parliamentary recess on Wednesday.
Rui Rio, elected by the District of Porto, will replace António Cunha of Peñafiel, who is 15th on the list and was a member of the Assembly of the Republic in the previous legislature.
The former SDP leader announced in early September that he would leave parliament.
Paulo Mota Pinto was the SDP’s parliamentary leader between April and July this year – he stepped down at the request of the party’s new chairman, Luis Montenegro, and was replaced at the head of the bench by Joaquim Miranda Sarmento.
At the request of Mota Pinto, who led the SDP list in Leiria, to suspend his duties, Joao Carlos Barreiras Duarte, who was once the deputy and brother of another former parliamentarian and former general secretary of the SDP, will return to the Assembly of the Republic. Feliciano Barreias Duarte.
