Portugal's main opposition party asks gov't to stop privatizations "immediately"
Xinhua, July 24, 2015 Adjust font size:
Portugal's Socialist Party, the country's main opposition, called on the center-right ruling coalition to "immediately stop" its privatization plans on Thursday.
"A privatization process is underway in the transport, water and atmosphere sectors and the Socialist Party demands these processes be immediately stopped," Joao Galamba from the Socialist Party said in a statement, according to Portuguese Lusa News Agency.
The statement was released after Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva announced on Wednesday that the general elections will take place on Oct. 4, which will see the Portuguese vote after several years of painful austerity implemented under the 78 billion euro (abut 86 billion U.S. dollars) bailout program the country signed in 2011 with international lenders.
Part of that deal was to privatize state-owned companies, such as airline TAP which was sold to an American-Brazilian consortium last month. Endit