The candidates for mayor of Elmas met in the central editorial office of L'Unione Sarda, answering journalists' questions. Outgoing mayor Maria Laura Orrù, 42, an engineer and architect, supported by the "Elmas Common Vision" list, and Giovanni Maria Fois, 70, former head of the 118 emergency service in Southern Sardinia, representing the "Elmas Restart" list, met in person. During the meeting, the issues stirring the election campaign were addressed: traffic, trade, and the relationship with Sogaer, the airport's management company.
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In Elmas, the center-right has no candidate for the elections: why is the center-left divided?
Maria Laura Orrù: "I still haven't fully understood the reasons behind the split. The core values underlying the center-left remain strong, but there's clearly a difference of opinion on how to govern. I had the numbers to govern, but they were limited. The local Democratic Party's distrust of me pushed me to give the citizens the floor."
Giovanni Maria Fois: "I didn't participate in this division within the outgoing City Council: until March 30th, I was involved in something completely different. I was implicated by a segment of the public due to the discontent generated by some of the Administration's decisions. I had no intention of running; I chose to participate after listening to the reasons of those who asked me for direct involvement."
The first choices after the (possible) electoral victory?
Fois: "Most of the people I've met with in Elmas this month have complained about the state of the roads and the neglected public parks. Many criticize the mayor for resigning: it would have been better to try to resolve the problems. There are other areas that need addressing: the difficulty in accessing public offices, perhaps caused by a staff shortage, is a priority. Then there's the management of the roads into and out of Elmas, landscaping, and the many areas overrun with garbage, partly due to a widespread practice: throwing bags out of windows. This issue brings us back to the management of the recycling center, which certainly needs improvement. Another issue is the relationship with Sogaer for the Santa Caterina area, the revitalization of commercial businesses that are suffering most from the new former FAS shopping center, new homes for young couples, and the lack of drinking water in some areas."
