"Basic sanitation is not only the responsibility of city councils, but also of the Regional Government, which is failing to meet this commitment to citizens," said the head of the list of the Alternativa Democrática Nacional (ADN), Miguel Pita, in the context of a campaign action in the parish of Santo António, one of the most populous in the municipality, with about 26,000 inhabitants.

The candidate, who is a hotel manager by profession, considered that the inspection and maintenance of the basic sanitation networks are deficient and have generated "several situations of risk to public health", due to the discharge of sewage and septic tanks into streams and watercourses.

"On the other hand, we also wanted to remind you that we are close to the bathing season and during that bathing season people may have the contrast between a blue flag and floating sewage at the same time," he warned.

Miguel Pita lamented that in the 21st century the basic sanitation network is lacking in many areas of the municipality, especially in the high areas, stressing that the ADN candidacy advocates a survey of the problems and increased investment in the sector.

Seven days before the elections, the candidate of the Alternativa Democrática Nacional makes a "positive assessment" of the campaign and underlines the "strong work towards gaining credibility with the regional electorate".

"We have good acceptance from people," he said, and then added: "The themes that we develop are different from the others, we are innovative in many themes and even in some that cost votes, but we always end up defending our ideology, regardless of the vote hunt".

Miguel Pita maintains the expectation of being elected deputy, recalling that, although the ADN was the least voted party in 13 candidacies in the last regional elections (617 votes -- 0.47%, out of a universe of 135,446 voters), it rose to about 2,300 votes in the Madeira constituency in the national elections of March 10.

Sunday's legislative elections in Madeira will take place with 14 candidacies competing for the 47 seats in the regional parliament, in a single electoral constituency: ADN, BE, PS, Livre, IL, RIR, CDU (PCP/PEV), Chega, CDS-PP, MPT, PSD, PAN, PTP and JPP.

The early elections take place eight months after the most recent regional legislative elections, after the President of the Republic dissolved the Madeiran parliament, following the political crisis triggered in January, when the leader of the Regional Government (PSD/CDS-PP), Miguel Albuquerque, was made a defendant in a process in which suspicions of corruption are being investigated.

In September 2023, the PSD/CDS coalition won without an absolute majority and elected 23 deputies. The PS won 11, the JPP five, the Chega four, while the CDU, the IL, the PAN (which signed an agreement on parliamentary incidence with the social democrats) and the BE each obtained one mandate.

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