Renan: Almeida has strong popular appeal and support.

Thiago Gomes and Madysson Wesley, GazetaWeb

On the eve of the start of this year's election campaign, Governor Renan Filho (PMDB) declared, this Thursday (30), that he will personally work to prepare the return of Cícero Almeida (PMDB) to the Maceió city hall. In yet another signing of a service order for improvements in a gully in the capital, the governor again criticized the municipal administration, which he accused of not investing in the infrastructure of the gullies, and praised Almeida, revealing that he will work to guarantee massive support and form a large bloc around the deputy's name.

Renan said that Cícero Almeida is leading in internal polls, which are assessing voter behavior in the capital. According to the governor, the survey shows that the PMDB pre-candidate has a real chance of defeating Rui Palmeira (PSDB), who will be seeking re-election. 

"Cícero Almeida was a great mayor of Maceió, and everyone recognizes this. He's at the top of all the polls we currently have. He leads because he has strong popular appeal and support, and whoever has that kind of popular support easily gains the collaboration of political parties. He will have, and I'm sure of it, the support of a large number of parties, and I will personally get involved in this," commented the governor in a press interview.

Before signing another service order for the "Small Works, Big Changes" program, which will bring some benefits to Grota do Arroz, located in the Cruz das Almas neighborhood in Maceió, Renan Filho criticized the current administration of Rui Palmeira, although he said he did not want to create controversy. He stated that the ravines in the capital have been abandoned by the public authorities, receiving no investment for years. 

"The State Government needs to invest in these places [in this case, the ravines] because these are the areas where the poorest population lives. These people need, at a minimum, dignity to live. We are carrying out improvement actions with the aim, also, of bringing the government closer to the people, so that they feel that the public authorities are here," commented Renan Filho.

The governor justified the launch of the "Small Works, Big Changes" program as having no electoral interests, claiming that the program was conceived, planned, and has been directly managed by the Secretary of Transportation and Urban Development, Mozart Amaral, since last year. "Mozart was previously the municipal Secretary of Infrastructure and is familiar with the problems of these communities," he emphasized.

"The governor promised in 2014 that he would carry out the works in the ravines, and he is here to fulfill those promises. All of this was done with planning and bidding processes so that the works could begin," the secretary confirmed.

Regarding the operation of the Emergency Care Units (UPAs), the governor once again criticized the municipal administration. "Instead of them [the city government] saying that the state isn't transferring the money for the construction and maintenance of the UPAs, they should acknowledge that the state opened the units that they couldn't. We are doing our part. They are not," he stated.

Federal deputy Marx Beltrão (PMDB) also criticized the advertisements from the Maceió city hall on television. According to him, the material does not reflect the reality of the favelas. "The capital where I live is not the one I see on TV. The advertisements should show the lack of daycare centers, schools, and infrastructure," he complains.