The national president of the Novo party, Eduardo Ribeiro, stated that Governor Romeu Zema may withdraw support for PSD candidate Mateus Simões if the agreement for vice nomination is breached. The statement responds to comments from PSD leader in Minas Gerais, Cássio Soares, who questioned the ticket composition. Simões, the current deputy governor, will assume the role in April as Zema resigns to run for president.
The national president of the Novo party, Eduardo Ribeiro, responded to statements by Cássio Soares, the main leader of the PSD in Minas Gerais. Soares said, in a conversation with journalists at an event in Belo Horizonte on Monday (2), that it is not guaranteed that a vice from Romeu Zema's party will be on Mateus Simões' (PSD) gubernatorial ticket. According to Soares, it is pointless to have a "perfect ticket that ends up defeated".
Ribeiro emphasized that there is a political agreement with the PSD, made in the governor's presence. "We have a political agreement with the PSD made at the governor's table. If the agreement is breached, Zema will support another candidate [for governor]", he said.
Mateus Simões, Zema's current deputy, has been signaling to the PL, the party of federal deputy Nikolas Ferreira. He will assume the governorship in April with the incumbent's resignation to run for president. Simões left Novo last year, claiming the PSD would provide a better structure to contest the Minas Gerais governorship. In return, Novo would nominate the vice on the ticket.
The exchange of statements highlights tensions in the alliance between the parties as elections approach.
