Municipal elections are being held in Portugal after the streetcar crash, focusing on Lisbon

Voters in Portugal cast ballots in local elections on Sunday, focusing on the mayoral race lisbon Following a fatal streetcar accident last month.

Mayor Carlos Moedas, head of the right-of-center coalition, faces left-of-center Alexandra Leitao, a law professor, in the municipal race for a four-year term.

The vote comes after 16 people, including 11 tourists, were killed in a streetcar crash on September 3 that sparked public outrage. Moedas rejected any blame and refused to resign.

Caris, the company that operates streetcar service and other public transportation in the city, is overseen by the Lisbon City Council.

But many say their vote is more influenced by other city issues, such as housing policies and garbage collection, as Lisbon is burgeoning due to a surge in tourists and skyrocketing real estate prices.

Jose Rosa, 72, said, “Disorganized traffic, complete filth, garbage like we haven’t seen in many years. Of course this garbage issue is the result of many factors but it requires planning. Politics is not just about protesting in front of issues, it is about anticipating them.”

His vote, he said, would not be affected by the streetcar accident.

For Sandra Almeida, one of the main issues is housing. He said, “We Lisbonans, we cannot live in Lisbon, we are being driven out of our own city.” He said the streetcar accident would have no impact on his vote. “It was an accident that happened, I think it has nothing to do with political parties.”

The official investigation into the accident is focusing on whether poor maintenance was responsible for the streetcar’s brake and safety cable problems.

“We are talking about mechanical failures, not political responsibility,” Moedas said before the election.

He refused to call a session with city councilors to discuss the crash ahead of Sunday’s election, saying he did not want the tragedy to become a political football.

Lisbon voter Ana Batelho said that the streetcar accident “reinforced my opinion about the person who represents us in city hall at this time, and I think he represents us quite poorly.”

Moidas, 55, is seen as a rising star in Portugal’s centre-right Social Democratic Party and is widely regarded as a potential future prime minister. after earning harvard MBAworked for coins Goldman Sachs And later set up his own investment management fund.

After a brief stint as a junior government minister and a lawmaker, he became European Commissioner in 2014, in charge of the bloc’s research, innovation and science branch. His election as mayor four years ago was a common career path for politicians seeking higher office, with political responsibility for the capital considered a stepping stone.

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Associated Press writer Barry Hatton contributed to this report.