The Partido Socialista (centre left - equivalent of Labour in the UK) candidate Luis Maciel has beat PSD (can't remember what it stands for - orange T-shirt lot, equivalent of Tories in Britain) candidate Alice Ramos. This is significant because the PSD has been in power in LdF for as long as anyone can remember - the reversal may be due to long term PSD presidente, local businessman João Lourenço, having reached the limit of his 150 terms in power.
Note the advertising on the www.autarquicas2013.pt website depicted above. At the top is an advert for the Casa do Rei restaurant in Lajes (which I can tell you is very good) while at the bottom is one for Single Ukranian Ladies. Given how closely targetted the first ad was, I'm wondering if the second reveals an equally closely targetted unmet need in the southern half of this island I'm not aware of which the new administration needs to get to work on ja pronto.
Below is the results in more detail:-
Quite a big swing to the PS. Last time, in 2009, it was exactly the opposite (54% PSD/45% PS). The result for the junta da freguesia (parish council) of Faja Grande is also interesting:-
Change of party (PSD to PS again) but not change of people in that outgoing presidente of FG, our neighbour Maria Lidia Oliveira, recently changed party allegiance and is returned under her new affiliation. Which just goes to prove that politics is about personalities rather than policies.
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As I was typing just then, there was a motorcade of cars down the road, all tooting their horns and with people hanging out the windows waving flags. Tahrir Square it is not but the Euros do elections rather more exuberantly than we Brits what with the winning candidate dutifully thanking the returning officer and his team for counting the votes. And note these 80+% turnouts - you'd be hard pushed to get 50% out at a British local election.
3 comments:
I was struck by your neighbour Maria Lidia's minders, depicted on her campaign poster. They remind me of the little angel and devil that would pop up on the shoulder of cartoon characters facing a moral dilemna. (The film Animal House parodied it rather well.) It must be a political boon to have some mad eyed Jean Reno-alike to reinforce your wilder election promises, and if your hairy hippy adviser is able to convey benificence as well as a faint whiff of patronising cant, just stick him in the photo too.
David
PS I think that Ukranian women who advertise on the election website are summoned there by the cookies that you scatter from your own web research and which betray your interests to internet advertisers. Just saying...
The Azores have some Ukrainian immigrant communities. Some of them are laborers, although there are also a number of classical musicians teaching and performing (e.g., on Terceira).
Hmmm, maybe those Ukrainian single ladies were prescient re the impending turmoil in their homeland.
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