PP and independent Torre del Mar group sign 'historic' pact to govern in Vélez-Málaga

The Partido Popular (PP) and the independent group for the municipality of Torre del Mar (GIPMTM) signed a pact on Saturday 10 June, to govern in Vélez-Málaga - almost two weeks after the local elections.

The PP won the election with nine councillors, but failed to get an absolute majority. Jesús Lupiáñez, the new leader of the party, replacing Francisco Delgado after two decades, met with the leader of the independent group, Jesús Carlos Pérez Atencia, on Saturday morning to sign a "historic agreement".

Pérez Atencia will once again be the first deputy mayor, as he has been for the last two legislatures but in a coalition with the socialist PSOE party. Both parties have described the agreement as "historic", which they said aims to "transform Vélez-Málaga over the next four years".

The bipartite government of PP and GIPMTM will have fifteen of the 25 councillors, leaving six from Andalucía por Sí, three from PSOE and one from Vox in the opposition. Former PSOE mayor, Antonio Morreno Ferrerer, announced last week that he would be standing down as councillor following his party’s disastrous results.

Lupiáñez promised that his objective is to "put Vélez-Málaga where it deserves to be" and that he will carry out an "integrating and structuring work for the whole municipality". The PP will manage the areas of finance, urban planning, contracting, infrastructure, security, sports, culture, environment, cleaning, parks and gardens, festivals, and senior citizens, in addition to the soon to be crated office for the historic centre of Vélez and the sub town hall offices in Chilches, Benajarafe, Almayate, Valle Niza, Cajiz, Trapiche and Triana. It will also take over the municipal cleaning company Emvipsa, which in the last two legislatures has been managed GIPMTM.

The independent group will bring "its experience of government and its extensive knowledge" in areas such as tourism, beaches, social services, business and employment. Jesús Pérez Atencia will be the first deputy mayor of Vélez-Málaga and deputy mayor of Torre del Mar, while the GIPMTM will also manage the towns of Caleta, Lagos and Mezquitilla.