October 1st is the date set for Portugal's local elections when the Câmara Municipal and the Junta de Freguesia presidents are selected
In the Algarve, the parties below are fielding candidates. This list is followed by a brief look at each of the 16 council areas in the Algarve region.
PS - Partido Socialista
PSD - Partido Social Democrata
CDU - Partido Comunista Português and Partido Ecologista "Os Verdes"
PAN - Pessoas-Animais-Natureza
BE - Bloco de Esquerda
CDS-PP - Centro Democrático e Social – Partido Popular
MPT - Partido da Terra
PPM - Partido Popular Monárquico
...as well as some one-off parties mentioned in the text below.
For those that are empowered to vote, all Portuguese and those foreign residents who have registered, this coming Sunday is the one day in four years on which you can express your opinion via the ballot box.
On the subject of oil and gas exploration on and off the Algarve's territory, follow this link to see what your local candidate has decided: HERE
Here is a summary of the parties involved for each Algarve council area:
ALBUFEIRA
Current President, Carlos Sousa e Silva (PSD), will seek re-election after having managed to keep the Social Democrats in power since 2001, but with half of the votes in relation to previous election results. The PSD candidate reached close to 36% in the vote four years ago, against approximately 32% for the PS, a margin that leaves everything open in this next election. In addition to the PSD and PS candidates, there’s Manuela Jorge (CDU), Isabel Machadinho (PAN), Sandra Costa (BE) and Jorge Loureiro (CDS-PP / MPT / PPM) competing for the presidency of Albufeira Ccouncil.
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ALCOUTIM
The current president and PS candidate for the Council of Alcoutim, Osvaldo Gonçalves, intends to halt the PSD run in the county, which was governed for 16 years by Francisco Amaral (PSD) between 1997 and 2013, and has been prevented from running again in Alcoutim due to the law of limitation of mandates. Four years ago, Osvaldo Gonçalves dethroned the Social Democrats with close to 51% of the vote, against 42% of the PSD and 24% of the CDU. Those defeated parties now present fresh faces to try to defeat the socialists: Jorge Inacio is the offering from the PSD / CDS-PP / MPT / PPM coalition, while the CDU is fielding Mário Nunes.
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ALJEZUR
The socialist president of the Aljezur Chamber, José Amarelinho, had a comfortable margin in 2013, winning 63% of the votes in this socialist bastion. The second most voted for party last time was the PSD, but with only 16%, and the CDU reached just over 14%. In the race against José Amarelinho are now Hélder Cabrita (PSD / CDS-PP / MPT) and Rogério Furtado (CDU), who intend to deny the third and final term to the current mayor.
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CASTRO MARIM
After reaching the mandate limit in Alcoutim, Francisco Amaral (PSD) successfully switched to Castro Marim council in 2013, replacing José Estevens who also had reached the limit of his mandates in this county which he has ruled since 1997.
"Four years ago, Amaral won close to 48% of the vote in the local elections, compared with 43% for the Socialists. The other political forces did not exceed 3%. In this contest, Francisco Amaral will face Jose Estevens, who now heads an independent movement (Castro Marim First), Célia Brito (PS) and Marco Rosa (CDU).
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FARO
Four years ago, candidate Rogério Bacalhau, who led the PSD / CDS-PP / MPT / PPM coalition, won Faro by a tiny margin, 33.94% of the vote, against 32.32% for the Socialists.
Now, the PS is piling on the pressure in Faro with the candidacy of António Eusébio, who once was mayor in São Brás de Alportel.
Rogério Bacalhau and António Eusébio have as their opponents, the candidates António Mendonça (CDU), Paulo Baptista (PAN), Eugénia Taveira (BE) and the wonderfully independent Humberto Correia and his Campaign of Love party.
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LAGOA
In the last municipal elections held in 2013, Francisco Martins (PS) managed to dethrone the PSD in Lagoa, obtaining 41.68% of the votes, against 39.35% for the former president and PS candidate, José Inácio, who had run the council since 2005.
On October 1, the two return to fight it out with a narrow margin expected. António Flamino (CDU), Jorge Ramos (BE) and Ondina Santos (CDS-PP / MPT / PPM) also are in the race and intend to do better than four years ago when none of these parties exceeded 8% in the vote.
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LAGOS
In Lagos, the socialist candidacy led by the current mayor, Maria Joaquina Matos, intends to re-conquer the absolute majority she won in 2013, reaching almost 35% of the vote. The PSD, which in the last elections received 17.31%, now competes with the CDS-PP, MPT and PPM parties, but with the same candidate, Nuno Serafim, who will try again to overthrow the PS (in since 2001).
Ana Paula Viana (CDU) and Luís Barroso (Independent), who gained more than 13% in the last election, also are after Lagos voters, as well as Manuela Goes (BE) and Margarida Maurício (PAN).
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LOULÉ
The victory of Vitor Aleixo (PS) was one of the great surprises in the municipal elections in 2013, with the former socialist mayor (1999-2002), who had lost the elections to Seruca Emídio (PSD), returning to the presidency twelve years later.
Vitor Aleixo, who won 48% of the votes in the last election, against 35% for the PSD, will try to maintain this advantage over his opponents, namely José Graça, who heads the PSD / CDS-PP / MPT coalition.
The other political forces did not get more than 5% of the votes in the last election, but they want to improve the results and win the presidency, namely the BE, with Joaquim Sarmento Guerreiro, and the CDU, with António Vairinhos Martins.
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MONCHIQUE
In Monchique, the current president Rui André (PSD) intends to keep his post that he has held since 2009, after ending 26 years of socialist rule. The PSD won the last municipal elections with 47.42% of the vote, compared to the 32.19% for the PS, which now presents Paulo Alves as a candidate. The other parties carry on regardless despite attracting minimal votes in the 2013 election. Nevertheless, Ana Veiga (CDU) and João Vairinhos Duarte (Citizens Por Monchique) are there to be voted for on October 1st.
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OLHÃO
The current mayor of Olhão, Antonio Pina (PS), is fighting hard and dirty to maintain his socialist power base in a city where the PSD have not won since April 25, 1974.
Pina replaced the socialist Francisco Leal, who ruled the council from 1993. António Pina got 36.60% of the votes last time, while the PSD gathered 26.29%, the CDU had 11.94% and the BE got 9.40%.
Pina was deselected by the local branch of the PS but managed to get appointed as mayoral candidate by the regional party machine which is aware of his failings but also of his abilities. The main candidate wanting to dethrone the socialists in Olhão is Luciano Jesus, who left the PS to oppose Pina and is fielded on a wide-ranging party platform of PSD / CDS-PP / MPT / PPM. There is Sebastião Coelho (CDU) and Ivo Madeira (BE) competing.
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PORTIMÃO
Portimão has been under the PS for 41 years and in last election, the socialist Isilda Gomes succeeded Manuel da Luz, who thankfully had reached the limit of his mandates. But despite her victory, the PS failed to obtain an absolute majority in a municipality that had always voted PS.
This was due to Manuel da Luz’s disastrous spending spree that left the local taxpayers funding a €130 million hole in the accounts. Isilda Gomes gathered around 30% of the votes in Portimão, while Pedro Pedro Caçorino (CDS-PP) came in second with almost 19% and Pedro Xavier (PSD) came third with a respectable 16.67%. These latter parties now have united around the candidacy of José Pedro Caçorino (CDS-PP / PSD / MPT / PPM) in an attempt to overthrow the PS.
Left Bloc, João Vasconcelos won 12.28% of the vote last time before becoming an MP in 2015, is going for mayor and the CDU is in the running with Isidro Vieira and O Nós Cidadãos has Mário Cintra as its candidate.
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SÃO BRÁS DE ALPORTEL
The Socialist candidate and current mayor, Vítor Guerreiro, will try to reach a new absolute majority in the municipality of São Brás de Alportel. In 2013, Vítor Guerreiro replaced the colleague socialist António Eusébio, who had been in charge of the city council since 2001.
The PS got 53.52% of the votes in the last elections, while the PSD gathered 32, 91% and CDU only 8.94%. The two defeated parties now appear with new faces, namely Bruno Costa (PSD / CDS-PP / MPT / PPM) and Francisco Keil do Amaral (CDU).
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SILVES
Rosa Palma (CDU) was the welcome surprise in the last municipal elections in the Algarve, removing the unelected Rogério Pinto who had taken over from Isabel Soares when she slipped off to run Aguas do Algarve. Soares’ financial dealings, many concluded, had benefitted herself and not so much the local population - the Viga d’Ouro investigation being but one inquiry where suspicion of corruption had stuck.
Rosa Palma won Silves with 34.68% of the votes, breaking a 16 year run for the PSD.
The defeated Rogério Pinto is trying it again as the PSD candidate but his period as mayor showed he lacked the necessary command. The PS is fielding Fátima Matos, the BE puts forward Rui Barradas and the CDS-PP / PPM gives locals the choice of Paula Sousa.
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TAVIRA
The socialist Jorge Botelho again is going for mayor after crashing through the finishing line with 46% of the vote at the last election, defeating the PSD candidate José Estevens who was the former mayor of Castro Marim and obtained 36% of the votes. These big percentages left the remaining parties with a smattering of support. The PSD now has Elsa Cordeiro, the BE sports José Manuel do Carmo, the CDU presents Miguel Cunha, the CDS-PP has João Carvalho and there is an independent candidate (Loucos por Tavira), Carlos Nunes, who may appeal to younger voters.
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VILA DO BISPO
Although he did not get party consensus form the Vila do Bispo socialists, the current president Adelino Soares (PS) is putting himself forward as a candidate for mayor. After winning an astounding 58% of the votes in the municipal elections of 2013, Adelino Soares intends to fulfil a third and final term as mayor of Vila do Bispo. He is up against Afonso Nascimento (PSD / CDS-PP / MPT / PPM), Paula Vilallonga (CDU) and Sebastião Pernes (BE).
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VILA REAL DE SANTO ANTÓNIO
The surprise defeat of Luís Gomes (PSD), after victories in 2005, 2009 and 2013, shows what can happen in VRSA.
The PSD is betting on Conceição Cabrita to continue their party’s electoral dominance, but the PS has a "trump card," the former mayor António Murta who ran the municipality for several years until his defeat by Gomes in 2005.
Murta was seeking re-election for a fifth term, the third in a row, after a rest period between 1993 and 1997 when the chamber was led by the CDU.
Álvaro Leal (CDU) and Celeste Santos (BE) are the other candidates entering the fray.
Text with many thanks to Nuno Couto, Jornal do Algarve
