1. In its meeting of last 16th and 17th June the Central Committee of the PCP decided, taking into account the framework of announced candidacies, that it was indispensable to present a presidential candidate who could ensure during the electoral debate the distinctive values, proposals and project of the PCP for Portuguese society and who could contribute to the strengthening of the popular demand for a left-wing alternative for the country's policies.
2. It is in this framework that the Central Committee of the PCP decides to present a candidacy for the presidential elections, which will be assumed by comrade António Abreu, member of the Central Committee and the Central Commission of Control, with the conviction that his intervention in the campaign and the electoral process will constitute, not only a factor of enrichment of the democratic debate, but specially an irreplaceable contribution to give expression to the current represented by those who struggle for a policy of the left for Portugal.
3. Only a candidacy presented by PCP is capable of ensuring in a coherent manner in the present campaign and election the affirmation and defence of the values, ideals and programmatic measures present in the project of an advanced democracy as defined and embodied by PCP.
A candidacy which is guided by the strict respect and promotion of the values of the Constitution of the Republic and which stresses the importance of the exercise of the post and constitutional attributions of the President of the Republic in answer to the country's problems.
A candidacy which, in firm defence of political democracy, rises against new attempts of impoverishment of the democratic regime as expressed in the proposals of changes in electoral legislation; which in defence of a balanced and socially just economic development for the country raises its voice in defence of policies which ensure the reduction of regional asymmetries and social injustice and inequality; which in defence of a social democracy gives expression to the struggle against deregulation of labour relations and the reduction of the State's duties and affirms the right to work and work with rights as an essential democratic backbone; which in the firm affirmation of national independence fights the attacks on national sovereignty and defends a policy free from the chains and hegemonic strategies of the USA and NATO, and a new course for European integration.
4. While defining its intervention in the presidential elections, the PCP does not question the democratic convictions of the present President of the Republic, or the correctness of his institutional relationship with the parties, including the PCP.
The PCP's candidacy has, as its main features, not only different conceptions from the present President of the Republic, but also a strongly critical assessment on aspects of his performance, considering that, on many occasions, he could and should have adopted a more distanced or critical attitude regarding policies and decisions of the PS government. In line with guidances, conceptions and positions on which the PCP, contrarily to the present candidates who were part of the structures of the candidacy of Jorge Sampaio in 1996, had already expressed frontal disagreement during the last presidential campaign, deserve a strongly critical mention the stands of the present President of the Republic of complete alignment with the government on matters of foreign policy and national defence (strategic concept of NATO, military aggression against Yugoslavia, etc.), on European integration as well as other issues of domestic policy, namely the process of privatisations, together with equivocal assessments on the reasons of the so called crisis of the political system.
5. In coherence with its responsibilities in national life, the PCP continues to consider undesirable that a candidate of the right wins the Presidency of the Republic (which does not seem probable in view of the present division of the right-wing candidacies) and will intervene in the presidential elections for a serious and sound debate on national problems, an affirmation of the values and proposals of the left and a mobilisation of progressive wills and aspirations which will weigh on the evolution of national politics.
6. In the present political framework and panorama of the announced candidacies, the candidacy of the PCP assumes all the prerogatives and ends of the current electoral law and proposes clearly to subject itself to the popular ballot. And, for this very reason, it appeals to all those who agree with the struggle for a policy of the left to, with their support of the candidacy of António Abreu render expression and strength to this demand.
7. By announcing the candidacy of the PCP, whose Public Declaration will take place on the coming 21st September, the Central Committee appeals to all the members and organisations of the PCP and JCP [Portuguese Communist Youth]to engage and mobilise in the battle of the presidential elections of next January, which, in convergence with other forms of the Party's political action and with the development of the mass movement, will contribute to strengthen the struggle in defence of the interests and aspirations of the workers and the people, for a left-wing alternative for Portugal.