Manuel Alégre, who was the author of Uma flor de verde pinho song performed by Carlos do Carmo, representing Portugal at the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest, is in the race to become President of Portugal.
Voters in Portugal go to the polls on 22nd January to elect a new president. There are six main candidates, and voting may go to a second round on 12th February if no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote.
Among the candidates is the poet Manuel Alégre, who was born on 12 May 1936, lived exiled for 10 years in Argel, and joined the Socialist Party in 1974. He has been one of the most popular deputies of the Portuguese Parliament from 1974 to 2002 for Coimbra and for Lisbon since 2002. He has also been Deputy Speaker since 1995. On the other hand, Alégre has won several literary prizes and could wrote for performers like Fado's diva, Amália Rodrigues.
Manuel Alégre says he is standing without party support but as a man of the Left. He vows to fight for a more just and prosperous society and to revive Portugal's political life.
The remaining candidates are Cavaco Silva, Mário Soares, Jerónimo de Sousa , Francisco Louçã, and Garcia Pereira.
