Alex Trelinski
NEW mayors are on the way for Elche and Orihuela following success for the Partido Popular(PP) in Sunday’s municipal elections.
Elche produced one of the tightest contests where the PP gained two seats to be just one behind the PSOE with 12 seats.
The far-right Vox party have three seats and are expected to back Pablo Ruz to become Elche’s mayor on June 17.
Pepe Vagara will be Orihuela’s new mayor after winning ten seats- one more than last time, but will also have to do a deal with Vox.
A PSOE-Ciudadanos coalition under Carolina Gracia ran Orihuela for the last year after ousting previous PP incumbent Emilio Bascañuna in a no confidence vote.
Like in many municipalities, Ciudadanos lost seats and now has three councillors left, as opposed to five.
Alicante’s mayor Luis Barcala saw a big rise in his vote with five extra councillors while Eduardo Dolon in Torrevieja, Jose Maria Perez Sanchez in Pilar de la Horadada, and Santa Pola’s Loreto Serrano all boosted their majorities.
Jacarilla was a surprise PP gain from the PSOE and they also increased their majorities in places like Almoradi and Benijofar.
It was not all doom and gloom for the PSOE who retained control- despite some fears- of Guardamar, Rojales, Dolores, and Algorfa.
It’s up in the air what happens to San Fulgencio council which had been run by the PSOE supported by Ciudadanos.
The PSOE lost a seat but kept its two British councillors Darren Parmenter and Samantha Hull Gallon.
Ciudadanos lost both its seats, which means that the PP has one more seat than the PSOE, with the two seats of the independent PIPN party decisive as to who will be mayor for the next four years.
Similar horse trading will have to happen in San Miguel de Salinas to see if the PSOE stays in control there.
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