The React, Reuse, and Recycle Party (RIR) spoke on the third day of the campaign appealing to abstentionists to go out and vote for representation in the Legislative Assembly of the archipelago.
“The goal is to appeal to those voters who are reluctant to vote or refuse to vote anymore. We have to change voting apathy, especially here in Funchal, said RIR leader, Roberto Vieira. The party has been conducting door-to-door interviews, speaking at bars and to those around the taxi rank in the parish of São Roque, in Funchal.
The candidate, who for years was the leader of the Earth Party – Madeira (MPT), and is now a regional deputy for the RIR party added that it was necessary to “appeal to young people who also say they will not vote because they do not believe in policies, nor politicians.”
“This year we are asking people to vote for the RIR party,” said Roberto Vieira, stressing that “the way to show discontent is through voting and not staying at home, annulling the vote or leaving it blank.”
The candidate argued that if the votes of the people who decide not to go to vote were pooled with those who choose to leave their voting forms blank or annul the ballot, there would be an absolute majority.
In practice, he insisted, “the absolute majority is in the hands of people who do not vote or who vote badly.”
Thirteen political parties are vying on the 24th for the 47 seats in the regional parliament. The political parties are:
PTP – Portuguese Labour Party
JPP – Juntos Pelo Povo
BE – Bloco de Esquerda
PS – Socialist Party
Chega – Right Wing Party
RIR React – Reuse-Recycle party
MPT – Green Party
ADN – Alternative National Democratic Party
PSD/CDS-PP (coalition Somos Madeira) Social Democrats
PAN – People -Animals -Nature Party
Livre – Free Party
CDU – PCP/PEV Democratic Union and Portuguese Communist Party
IL – Liberal Initiative.
In the previous regional elections, in 2019, the Social Democrats (Miguel Albuquerque) elected 21 deputies, losing for the first time the absolute majority they had held since 1976, and formed a coalition government with the CDS-PP (three deputies).
The PS won 19 seats, the JPP three, and the CDU one.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
