On Saturday at midday, with the single exception of Barcelona, all the Town Halls in Spain simultaneously swore in the new local government representatives who will govern for the next four years.
In Calasparra, after the tension and excitement of an election day which left no party with a clear majority, there were no more surprises. The acting Mayor of Calasparra, Jesus Navarro, leader of the PSOE Socialist Party, which received the most votes, was re-elected as Mayor in accordance with the Law on Electoral Procedure.
This same law was attacked in the maiden speech of Ricardo Garcia, Coordinator of the United Left and Greens Party, which secured a seat and the casting vote in the political stalemate which has left the two main parties with eight seats each.
“This is the law,” he said, “ which allows a mayor to be elected without a working majority, that despite a high numbers of votes has left the United Left with only two seats at regional level and one at local level, and that expects me, a republican, to swear allegiance to the King.”
Wearing a tee shirt which protested against the Law on Electoral Procedure, that he described as “unfair and unrepresentative,” he voted for himself as mayoral candidate. As the other parties had eight votes each and voted for their own candidates the mayor was elected by default.”
The Sala de Actos at the Town Hall was crammed to rafters for the ceremony to witness Navarro elected for his fourth term and a host of new faces on the both sides of the chamber.
The representatives for the PSOE headed by Jesús Navarro Jiménez are José Vélez Fernández, Teresa Salinas García (new), Cristina Trujillo (new), Maria Dolores Gomariz, Jordi Arce Corbalán (new), Antonio José Moreno Gil (new), and Isabel Torrente Martínez.
For the Partido Popular the representatives are headed by Jesús Martínez Moreno and are Jesús Alajarín Cascales (new), Isabel María Ríos Gil (new), Antonio Céspedes Marín (new), Davinia Saorín Marín (new), Miguel Ángel Martínez Alcázar (new), Mariano Marín Gil (new)and Mª Asunción Escavy Peña (new).
In his address the leader of the PP was quick to point out that his party had received almost the same number of votes and had secured the same number of seats as the PSOE for “the first time in the history of democracy in Calasparra.”
“Things are going to change in Calasparra,” he said, “We are all friends and neighbours and we can reach an understanding for the good of the people of Calasparra and the good of the town.”
The Mayor, Jesus Navarro, welcomed the United Left to the chamber and heralded “a new political map” for Calasparra with “dialogue and consensus”.
The first full meeting of the elected representatives of the Town Hall will be held in the evening on the last Thursday of the month.
Barcelona will hold its swearing in ceremony on July 1.
