RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro denied on Wednesday that he intends to leave his party, the Social Liberal Party (PSL), and described his recent disagreements with the party's leadership as "a couple's spats."
"I will continue in the party for now. There is no crisis. A couple's spat, it happens sometimes. It is not my problem. People want a different, active party. The party is stagnated," he said.
Presidential spokesperson Otavio Rego Barros reiterated Bolsonaro's stance and said that the president "does not intend to leave the PSL of his own volition."
Bolsonaro had disagreements with the leadership of the PSL, which he joined in mid-2018. Earlier this week, in response to a supporter's question, he said people should "forget about PSL," enraging some of the party's congressmen.
PSL President Luciano Bivar on Wednesday said "when he (Bolsonaro) tells a stranger to forget the PSL, it shows that he has forgotten. It shows that he no longer has any relationship with the PSL," local media reported.
The PSL grew significant in the last election, partly because Bolsonaro's supporters voted for congressmen from his party. If the president decides to leave the PSL, he may take away some of the party's congressmen and diminish the party's influence.
