A president who, despite already occupying the position, he is a candidate for the first time and a former priest who is now dedicated to politics promise to animate the struggle for the Chamber of Tavira in the elections this Sunday, 26 September. In total, there are five candidates who are going to try to win autarchy from the PS.
It was in October 2019 that Ana Paula Martins assumed the presidency of the Chamber of Tavira, due to the departure of Jorge Botelho to the Assembly of the Republic – later, the Tavira was even chosen as secretary of state.
Even so, Ana Paula Martins' autarchic experience goes back much further than 2019.
In addition to being a councilor with the areas of Administration and Finance, between 2009 and 2013, she was vice president, between 2013 and 2019.
In her list for the Chamber, Ana Paula Martins made an authentic revolution: the candidates who are, in theory, in an eligible position are all new, compared to the 2017 list. Names like José Manuel Guerreiro, current vice president, or João are coming out Pedro Rodrigues, president of the PS council.
As their main rival in these elections, the socialists have…a former priest.
This is Dinis Faísca, the PSD candidate who also has municipal experience.
Currently, he is the chief of staff of the president of the neighboring Chamber of Castro Marim, the social democrat Francisco Amaral, and he is profiled as the great adversary of Ana Paula Martins.
As for the Left Block, the historic José Manuel do Carmo is once again running for local authority.
As in 2017, the 70-year-old retired university professor is the blockers' bet to try to win over a councilor. Four years ago, they were the third most voted force, but still they didn't get that dehydrate.
In turn, Elisabete Romão, a lawyer by profession and a person connected to various associations, is the head of the CDU list. In 2017, the choice of this left-wing coalition had been Miguel Cunha.
Chega debut in Tavira, presenting Pedro Ferreira as a candidate for the Chamber. Despite being born in Palmela, this pharmacist lives in Cabanas and has been the technical director of the Montepio Artístico Tavirense pharmacy for several years.
In the Municipal Assembly, the fight also promises to be interesting.
For the PS, the candidate is José Manuel Guerreiro, who still holds the position of vice-president of the Chamber – the list of socialists, which has also been significantly reformulated, also has names like Margarida Flores, current director of the District Center of Faro Social Security and wife of Jorge Botelho, former mayor.
But the PSD bets on a heavy weight. Macário Correia is back to local politics, heading the list of social democrats for the Municipal Assembly.
José Macário Correia was president of the Tavira City Council from 1998 to 2009, the year he won the Municipalities in Faro.
In the Algarve capital, Macário was sentenced to lose his mandate, for alleged serious violations of territorial planning instruments, against the advice of technicians from the municipality, when he was still president of the Tavira Chamber.
Later, the former mayor was sentenced to 4 years and six months, with a suspended sentence for an equal period, by the Court of Faro, which found four crimes of “prevarication of the holder of political office”, namely the authorization for the construction of three houses and a swimming pool, in an area of the National Ecological Reserve (REN), in the municipality of Tavira.
In the Left Block, the head of the list is Artur Sanina, technical coordinator of the Chamber of Faro, but residing in Tavira. The Block candidate has been a municipal deputy since 2013.
The CDU's head of list to the Municipal Assembly also has experience in this municipal body. Pedro Soares has been a deputy since 2017, the year in which he also headed this left-wing candidacy.
Finally, Gonçalo Santos is the candidate for Chega. In addition to being an IT professional, he is also a national handball referee and will try to gain representation in the Municipal Assembly for this party.
The municipality of Tavira has six parishes, with the particularity of being all led by the PS.
Starting with the Tavira Parish Assembly (Santa Maria and Santiago), the current president José Mateus re-applies for the position. The opponents are João Horta (PSD), Paulo Silva (BE), Nuno Vaz (CDU) and Anaísa Gonçalves (Chega).
Moving on to Santa Luzia, President Carla Martins is also running for office again. The other heads of list are Artur Minhalma (PSD), Cristiana Jacinto (CDU), Artur Sanina (BE) and José Jesus (Chega).
For the União de Freguesias da Luz de Tavira and Santo Estêvão, there are new things. José Liberto Graça (PS), current president, will not run, giving way to Jorge Silva.
Ângelo Gonçalves (PSD), Carlos Lopes (BE), José Neto (CDU) and Carlos Azevedo (Chega) close the list of candidates.
As for Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo, the PS will try to win, once again, this parish with Carlos Sousa, with only two candidates: Nelson Faustino (PSD) and Tiago Cavaco (CDU).
In the innermost parish (Cachopo), Maria Otília Cardeira, current president, wants to win another term for the PS. Looking ahead, they will have Rafael Dias (PSD) and Jorge Madeira (CDU).
Finally, for the Parish Assembly of Conceição and Cabanas de Tavira, Ângelo Pereira (PS), who heads the municipality, is also a re-candidate.
The remaining competitors are Hélder Conrado (PSD), Tiago Manjua (BE), Vanessa Henriques (CDU) and Pedro Valentim (Chega).
In 2017, 11.950 people voted in the municipality of Tavira, out of a universe of 22.440 subscribers, which corresponds to 53,25% of the total (abstention was 46,75%).
The PS received 58,35% of the votes and elected 5 councilors (mayor included) and the PSD/CDS/MPT/PPM reached 22,01% (2 councilors).
The Left Bloc won 4,68% of the votes and the CDU 4,54%.
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