Portugal: PR meets Cape Verdean students in Maia and calls for participation in parliamentary elections

The meeting, which took place today in the auditorium of the University of Maia (UMaia) and was attended by students from this institution and the Polytechnic Institute of Maia (IPMaia), is part of the fifth edition of the Presidency in the Diaspora and second in Portugal, which runs from today to April 26.

According to the head of state, the aim of the meeting was to assess their conditions, identify constraints and learn about the main challenges they face, in order to help solve their problems.

Taking advantage of the election period, the Cape Verdean PR called on everyone to participate in the legislative elections on May 17, encouraging them to vote according to their expectations and on the basis of the debates to be held, so that the choice is free.

"My appeal is above all for a great civic commitment in these elections, for everyone to participate and for everyone to make the choices they consider best for the future of our country. Those who don't vote don't count. To participate and count, you have to vote," he said.

In what will be the last presidency in the diaspora of his mandate, the nation's highest magistrate said that the aim is to be with students, patients who have been transferred, entrepreneurs who invest in Cape Verde, local and national authorities.

In other words, he added that the visit, with a special focus on the northern region of Portugal, is intended to give visibility to different issues that concern the lives of Cape Verdean communities, while also helping to influence the formation of public policies aimed at resolving these problems.

Before the meeting with the students, José Maria Neves met with the heads of UMaia and IPMaia, where he noted that around two hundred Cape Verdean students study.

"We talked about the levels of these students, their integration and their engagement. They are students of great quality, they participate actively in the life of the school and it is important to see that Cape Verdeans who leave to study make this effort and distinguish themselves in different universities," he said.

Among the main problems identified, the head of state pointed to the cost of living with student residences and the level of scholarships.

According to him, these issues will have to be discussed more directly after the elections on May 17, but, nevertheless, he guaranteed that he has taken note of the main concerns that he will raise with the elected government.

Also in the municipality of Porto, visits to the S. João Hospital and the Santo António Local Health Unit, as well as to the house that houses Cape Verdean patients transferred for treatment in Portugal, are scheduled for this Monday, the 20th.

Also noteworthy is the meeting of the nation's highest magistrate with mayors of municipalities in the North and Centre twinned with Cape Verdean municipalities, to promote the strengthening of decentralized cooperation, which will be attended by the president of the Association of Cape Verdean Municipalities (AMCV), Fábio Vieira.

Inforpress