Not a single government supporter was elected to the Board in District X in the elections to the District Board, held last Thursday across the Orihuela Municipality, with senior members from the Party for the Independence of Orihuela Costa (PIOC) taking 5 of the 6 available seats, the sixth going to a former advisor of Ciudadanos.
In total, 13 polling stations were opened across the municipality, functioning in 7 of the 11 municipal districts, with one in Orihuela Costa at Alameda del Mar for Districts X and Xl. In four others, however, the number of residents and associations seeking election did not reach the required number of candidates.
But, according to the spokesperson for the opposition PSOE party, Carolina Garcia, you might have been forgiven if it all passed you by, as she launched a scathing attack on the Orihuela council about the lack of publicity provided by them for the elections to these important political-administrative bodies.
On the council website it states, “The District Boards are the highest body of citizen participation,” and yet, other than an article written on 11 December last year, calling for nominations, there seems to be no further information.
In a statement, Maria Garcia said, “”We do not understand how the Council has not informed the residents of where and how they should vote, and neither have they been encouraged to attend the voting centres or told how do so.”
“This lack of knowledge by the general public,” she continued, “means that “once again, many of those who are seeking election are advisors to the current government groups or people who have previously been included on electoral lists. Ethically, these individuals should not be standing, the positions should be taken by members of the general public, normal citizens who selflessly want to participate, to improve the area in which they live, and not occupy a position for clearly partisan interests.”
“This process is very important” according to the Garcia since, “the people representing each district will emerge from these votes and will then be able to promote the interests of the residents who have elected them democratically, however, unless people have been watching carefully, or have participated on other occasions, they would not have been aware, because the council has not provided any information to citizens, informing them about this election,” the councillor said.
In Orihuela Costa, however, the publicity was plentiful, provided through social media by residents associations and local political parties, however it was distinctly lacking elsewhere.
The turnout of individuals wishing to vote in the Orihuela Costa Districts X and XI was said to be encouraging, with a steady stream arriving at the Alameda del Mar throughout the day.
With many expats unaware of voting procedures, PIOC started the day by handing out explanatory leaflets in English, however, their efforts were soon brought to a halt by the Policia Local following a complaint, but despite this one incongruity, with local representatives and candidates on hand at the door, the mood was said to be jovial.
The polling centre staff were also to be praised for being particularly helpful, and with the vote closing at 5pm the counting of ballots was underway very shortly thereafter with the results published just an hour later.
The top six candidates were elected to their respective board from each Orihuela Costa District with votes cast as follows:
Seven years ago each District Board was given an allocation of 70,000 euros to manage their own projects but in her criticism of the election Councillor Garcia said that the new boards are already “born empty of content,” because we already know that, according to the councillor for Participation, Mari Carmen Portugal, this year the budget will not include any items for Participatory Budgets, a situation that has discouraged many people from taking part.
But, while District Boards have not been a great success in the Orihuela Municipality in recent years, with neither District seeing very little to benefit their representation, they are a first step for those elected to represent the coast, who must now use wisely, and to good effect, the additional influence that their new status will bring.
