sugestão

This idea that there is a state of emergency but the elections should go ahead undisturbed does not hold water.

Esta ideia de que existe um estado de emergência mas que se deve prosseguir tranquilamente com a realização das eleições não pega.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1259946

It won't hold water in court (the case would be lost in court).
It think this will hold water in court (the case has a chance of winning).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-hold-water-mean.htm
When someone says that something doesn’t hold water, he or she is trying to suggest that an argument, plan, or statement has some sort of logic flaw, and is either plainly untrue or wrong. The term is usually used to undermine something someone is saying and normally has a negative or insulting connotation. There are many different situations where the term might be used, including disagreements, as a response to poor excuses for bad behavior, and as a way of correcting someone who’s made a mistake with a plan.

either of them would do

Portuguese term (edited): se alguma delas "colava"

se alguma delas "colava" => would hold up

The NSA's Excuses Don't Hold Up - Defense One
www.defenseone.com/management/2013/10/nsas-excuses...hold/7...‎
Oct 22, 2013 - When asked, “Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans?” he replied, “No sir, not wittingly.

10 Excuses That Don't Work Anymore - Huffington Post
www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/05/bad-excuses_n_4855701.htm...‎
Mar 5, 2014 - Here's the post-50 version of old excuses that no longer hold up