Africa-Press – Cape verde. Alberto Mello, the lead candidate for the Independent and Democratic Cape Verdean Union (UCID) in the South Santiago constituency, stated this Friday that the candidacy aims to “undertake serious work” for the city of Praia and strengthen the party’s representation in Parliament.
During the public presentation of the candidate list for the South Santiago constituency, the candidate identified housing for young people, security, and close engagement with local communities as key priorities.
According to Alberto Mello, the list comprises 33 candidates and was compiled based on criteria such as competence, community representativeness, and compliance with the gender parity law, which has been in force since 2019.
Among the proposals, he highlighted the creation of policies to ensure dignified housing for the youth and the strengthening of security within the city of Praia, with a specific focus on areas considered to be the most critical.
The candidate also advocated for greater youth participation in politics, emphasizing the need for young people to assume leadership roles across various sectors of society.
For his part, UCID leader João Santos Luís stated that the party does not set specific targets regarding the number of parliamentary seats it aims to win, leaving that decision entirely to the voters.
However, the party leader affirmed that UCID has consistently engaged in grassroots outreach throughout various electoral cycles, positioning itself as a party open to civil society and independent candidates.
João Santos Luís further noted that the South Santiago list features new faces and a significant number of young candidates, underscoring the party’s strong ties to local communities.
In the legislative elections scheduled for May 17, a total of 72 candidates are competing across 13 electoral constituencies—ten within the country and three representing the diaspora—standing for five political parties: PAICV, MpD, UCID, PTS, and PP.
In the elections held on April 18, 2021, the MpD secured an absolute majority, electing 38 members of parliament, compared to 30 for the PAICV and four for UCID.
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