elections
The combined votes of the PSOE, UCB and IU give the coalition group an overall majority with Javier Carnero as mayor
28.05.11 - 17:51 -
Elena Galán, Javier Carnero and Francisco Salido sealed their pact last Wednesday. Antonio Salas
In Benalmádena the situation after Sunday’s elections was a little more complicated than in most places. The PP won the most votes in a municipal election for the first time (they have been in power for the last two years as the result of a vote of no confidence) although their 11 seats of a total of 25 were not enough to give Enrique Moya and his team an overall majority.
This left the situation open to coalition pacts and the man who held the key was Francisco Salido of the new party UCB (Unión Centro Benalmádena) whose four seats would give the PP the majority they needed, or would tip the balance in the other direction.
Seeing the chance to keep hold of one of the Costa del Sol’s most important councils, the PSOE wasted no time in approaching UCB and IU, who have two seats. The pact was sealed on Wednesday and leaves the Enrique Moya and the PP in the opposition, despite being the most-voted party. This means that Javier Carnero will once again be mayor of Benalmádena, the post from which he was ousted in 2009 as a result of a vote of no confidence brought about by the PP.
“We will work together honestly, coherently and transparently and we will put every effort into generating employment”, said Carnero.
“We have made this decision in accordance with the wishes of our members and of those who voted for us”, said Francisco Salido.
Meanwhile the PP expressed the general “indignation” among members. “They didn’t even have the decency or the tact to wait to hear the proposals offered by the most-voted party” said Moya, referring to the UCB, with whom he had scheduled a meeting to negotiate a pact on Thursday.
Alcaucín
Another municipality in which a majority in the town hall can only be reached through a coalition is Alcaucín. After an initial agreement reached on_Wednesday it appears that Domingo Lozano of the PP, the second most voted party behind the PSOE, will be elected mayor thanks to the support of the PA and Los Verdes.
The three groups have two seats each and their coalition would leave the PSOE, with three seats, and PITA, with two, in the opposition. The local Los Verdes leader, Belgian national Mario Blancke (a member of SOHA), is a key player in the negotiations and stressed that it was “more coherent to support a coalition with the PP as they now have control of the provincial government (Diputación) and possibly the Junta de Andalucía next year”. Talks to finalise the Alcaucín pact will resume next week.
