“The first appeal I make is for people to go vote, because it took a long time to conquer this right and it is also an opportunity for democracy, as democracy is built every day with free and conscious citizens,” stated Élvio Sousa.
The general secretary of JPP spoke to journalists at the entrance of the Gaula Parochial Center in the Madeiran municipality of Santa Cruz at around 11:30, shortly before voting.
“The work is done, and it is up to me to mainly raise awareness and urge all people to exercise this right to vote, recalling that the Constitution always states and it is written there that political power belongs to the people, and today the political power is in the hands of the citizens, who have electoral capacity and the power is in the hands of the people,” he emphasized.
Élvio Sousa also expressed hope that the party would achieve “a good result,” not only in Santa Cruz but “in other places as well,” noting that on this day it is necessary to “be very careful with words.”
“Political power, the power is in the hands of the people, and popular justice will be done today,” concluded the JPP representative, the largest opposition party in Madeira with representation in the Assembly of the Republic with one member elected.
More than 9.3 million voters are eligible to vote in these local elections, according to census data provided by the Secretariat-General of the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI).
Of the 9,303,840 registered voters, 9,262,722 are nationals, while the remaining 18,319 are voters from the European Union (EU) and 22,799 are foreigners from outside the EU, both cases registered in national territory.
Voters will choose the governing bodies of 308 Municipal Chambers, 308 Municipal Assemblies, and 3,221 Parish Assemblies, with three ballots.
In total, 1,584 lists of parties, coalitions, and citizen groups are candidates for the Municipal Chambers, 1,519 for the Municipal Assemblies, and 9,764 lists for Parish Assemblies, according to the latest data from the Secretariat-General of the MAI.
