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A Rough
Guide to Spanish Elections
There are three main governing bodies, The Canarian government
(Gobierno), The Fuerteventura government (Cabildo) and 48 Town
Halls (Ayuntomiento) in the Canaries, of which six are in
Fuerteventura.
The elections will take place on Sunday 27th May; and for
non-Spaniards; we are allowed to take part only in the
Municipal Election for the control of the Ayuntomiento. The
voting is held in the local “colegios electorales” which for us
is in the library in Calle Iglesia, just on the left before the
church in Corralejo.
There are ten parties contesting the Municipal election. The
two main parties in Spanish Politics are the PP (Popular Party)
who could be termed centre-right, and are led by and
represented by Domingo González; and the PSOE (Partido
Socialista Obrero Español) the Workers party who are centre
left, and are led by Rosa Fernández.
However in the Canaries, they have major competition from the
CC (Coalición Canaria) the Canarian Coalition party who control
the Ayutnomiento, with Claudino Morales as the Mayoress, and
Mario Cabrera heads the Cabildo as Fuerteventura President.
Other parties are the IUC (Izquierda Unida), the United Left,
who are the former Communists, and the LVC (Los Verdes) – the
Greens, who among their representatives have Peter Fischer from
the Arena Bar.
Most of the others are fairly independent, and include:-
N Ca (Nueva Canaria/ Nueva Fuerteventura) represented by Raquel
González,
CCN (Centro Canaria) with Antonio Muntañez,
ICF (Iniciativa Ciudadana por Fuerteventura) with Edgar a
Freivalds Trujillo
ADF (Alternativa Democratica por Fuerteventura) with José Luis
López, who is also a green.
The APCA provide little information.
All canvassing for votes must cease two days before the
election day, and no canvassing is permitted either on the last
day, the so-called Day of Reflection or on the day of the
election.
Voting is by the D’Hondt method of Proportional Representation,
i.e. you vote for the party, not the individual.
The Parties publish their list of candidates ranked in order of
importance and equal to the number of seats to be elected (one
party could win every seat). After the election the Council is
filled based on the volume of votes for each party, and within
one month of the election, the Councillors must meet to vote
for their Mayor, who then appoints other Councillors as an
Executive Board to head the Council departments, usually as
full time salaried employees. It is at the time of voting for
Mayor that coalitions may be formed.
I hope the above is useful, and helps some of you to vote.
This article was
written by Robert Murphy from Atlantic Insurance Brokers.
Avenida Juan Carlos 1,Nº 27, Corralejo, La Oliva
Telephone: 928537730 Mobile: 646008496
Email: robert@aibsl.net
www.aibsl.net
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