1st Pleno New Administration

Today we held the first Pleno meeting under the new administration with Luis chairing it as Mayor. It was mainly to approve an amendment for our norms to facilitate the payment of monies due to companies involved in helping with the mountain slide.

The Pleno was not attended by the 2 PSOE official councillors but all the others did attend and approved the measures necessary to facilitate the payments due.

The Pleno went well although due to the mixed nature of the council it was not clear whether each councillor should have a say, or just party leaders, given that PSOE and PP are split. In the end Luis allowed everyone to speak.

Prior to the meeting I spoke with Luis about our outstanding issues and he said that he would do what he could with my list of issues but that from next week all new issues should be dealt with by the individual councillors and he reassured me that the 30 employees of the TH are equally at my disposal as any of the other councillors. This may make my role more demanding but it will be better in delegating tasks from the Mayor to allow him to concentrate on the bigger issues. Might even more improve my Spanish!

Luis has already made appointments to meet with various leading political figures in Almeria next week. He certainly is hitting the road running.

If anyone is interested (and I recommend watching its entire 35 minutes if you want to see the emotion in our local politicians) in seeing the Pleno meeting, and the speeches made by the main people, where the motion of censure was passed it is on youtube at the following link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcvecmE8qbk
If the link fails you can find it under 'mocion de censura zurgena'
If you fast forward to the end you will see me get a man hug ( they do things differently here!).

A Promising Start

Luis Dias Garcia, the new Mayor sent me an message last night requesting that I meet with him in the Town Hall today at 4.0pm which I did.

He is certainly keen to get moving. He explained that I should fully understand that this council is now an amalgamation of 8 councillors who wish to work for the benefit of Zurgena without recourse to party politics etc. I said I supported him in that.

He then asked me to list what I wanted by way of finance or equipment and I explained that I needed nothing but I could do with a key to the T.H. and the alarm code which had been changed since I last had access. He said he would sort that out.

He then asked me what the ex pat community wanted, other than the PGOU, which he fully understands is the reason he was elected. I then, tentatively at first but then more openly as I realised he wanted all my outstanding issues. So I gave him them all! It is not worth listing them all on here as they have been covered many times before but suffice it to say he has, from the expat community a lengthy list of things we would like.

He explained that he wanted to see progress in all areas of TH responsibility and I could see that he has his hands very full. The only issue is one of timeliness, as always in Spain, but as a first indicator of his application to the job it was good start.

A promising start.

Censure Motion Passed

The extraordinary Plenary meeting of Zurgena council proceeded at midday today. I met up with the agreeing councillors about an hour before the meeting. It is fair to say that most of them were very nervous. Not surprising given that 3 of the Spanish TV channels were broadcasting it live!

As is often the case in Spanish Politics, a table of age, is established and as I am the eldest I become President but, following a meeting with the Secretary, it was agreed that I could open the meeting by explaining that I was delegating my role to Noelia (as the youngest) to be president. Which she did very well. Evenb at one stage telling Candido to be quiet!

Short addresses were given by first Luis, then Kiko, Candido, Ana and Sampo. It was surprising to see how emotional they were with particularly Luis, Candido and Ana almost in tears. After the speeches the votes were cast and as expected the vote was 8 in favour of the censure motion and 3 against (Kiko PP), Maria Jose Aliaga and Jose Anthonio (PSOE) against.

Luis then made a short speech accepting his position as Mayor in which he stressed how much he wanted to try and address the problems of the village and how, with the help of all the councillors move things froward.

After the meeting, we adjourned for a beer across the road, and whilst there a small van pulled up and it was Luis' parents. I was introduced to them and they were very welcoming and friendly.

So lets see what we can achieve with a council made up of a greater majority of councillors working together for the village.

Clarification (some)

I decided to put a little further clarification on here about tomorrows motion of censure. The motion is to put before the full council at 12 noon.

In one of Luis Diaz Garcia's  statements below he talks about 'regularising' the properties this is NOT what he meant. I am not sure whether it was as a result of a mistranslation or whatever, but the purpose of this whole process is to try and advance our PGOU. This is the PGOU which was compiled and presented in 2011 after lengthy discussions and considerations by the Land Law Professor from Malaga who was advising the Council, at the time, and who,you may remember, attended a meeting in the Renfe to explain it all to us and how it complied with everything that was being asked of us (any reference to the Spanish press articles will confirm this from PP and PSOE regional politicians)

We have had a period of 4 years (2007 to 2011) with P.A. in control trying to advance the PGOU and all we attracted was more court cases which was why, after the stalemate of the election in 2011, PA agreed to form a coalition, with PP with Kiko as Mayor, to see if that could achieve progress. But after over 2 years nothing has happened. We need to try and make progress as soon as we can.

The new administration which, if the censure motion is carried tomorrow, will be a coalition of 4 P.A. councillors, 2 PSOE councillors, 1 PP councillor and 1 independent. The only persons at this moment in time who will be abstaining or voting against will be the other 2 PSOE councillors (including the PSOE Secretary) and Kiko himself. It may be that some of the councillors voting for the motion will be expelled by their parties but it is obvious that the vast majority of the serving councillors believe this to be the best way forward for Zurgena.

There has been a great deal in the Spanish press lately and the latest article which shows that at least of the 3 major parties P.A. does support the councillors position. The articles in the Spanish press also confirm that the motivation for the censure motion is to advance the PGOU.The only reason I am serving on the council is to try and represent the interests of the ex pat community and I see this (the progress of the PGOU) as the most important of all. I have been fully involved in all the discussions about this in the past two weeks and have attended many lengthy and animated meetings  Rest assured I would not be voting for it for any other reason.

http://www.lavozdealmeria.es/vernoticia.asp?IdNoticia=48457&IdSeccion=

A Long Time in Politics

Who was it who said a week is a long time in politics. Whoever it was I agree as the past 2 weeks have been longest in my short political life.

This post is primarily to thank those friends, who are aware of what a difficult and stressful time the past 2 weeks have been, for their help and support in my making the decision I did (to support the Censure motion of the current Mayor).  Thanks also to my wife for not getting onto me for the delayed meals and postponed events due to the meetings.

It has been enlightening to identify those who a) took an interest in the facts,  b) who asked for information before judging the decision and those who, c) through verbal or written communications, have spread facts which are basically and patently untrue. Why did they not just ask me?

There are some facts which I am not yet able to reveal publicly, and which may not be available for some time, but rest assured the decision, that the 8 out 10 voting councillors made, was based on what was for the benefit of the Town.

Difficult Times

It appears that major pressure is being brought to bear on all the councillors who signed the motion of censure last Friday with some very strange, and worrying, things occurring.  Considering that 100% (4) of the P.A. (Partido Andalucista) councillors, 50% (2) of the PSOE, 50% of the PP (1) and 100% of the independent councillors signed the motion it would seem that democratically there is a good majority, 80% supporting the motion, and one would think that the big parties would be encouraging this move to make things happen in our small town rather than applying pressure to try and negate the motion.

I believe that the signatory councillors will, possibly, dependant on circumstances be making a press release of their own this Friday

Statement from Luis Diaz Garcia

I have printed below Candidos statement re the motion of censure an secondly the FB status update of Luis Diaz Garcia's for your information. Please forgive the Bing translation but if you bear with it I think you will get the main points in his post.

Candidos statement

8 of 11 Councillors of different political signs, we caught agreement having as main objective the benefit and welfare of our people
In the press these days there are statements of high-ranking politicians who say that policy does not "anything goes". It seems that now fight for the interests of our people being all Councillors together, it is a crime. It should be an obligation. We understand that in politics, first is the people, after us, politicians and last acronyms.
They are trying to break this motion by bombing all the Councillors, but if those senior officials had a bit of dignity and stature policy not to say class, what you would have to do is "Understand and support" because if we got together 8 of 11 Councillors will be for something. The unfortunate thing is that they don't want to because according to them the important political stands, and while they try to each take its acronym forward, the truth is that our people are sinking it in misery.

Luis's FB Status Update,

Very good,...I know that you I will receive much criticism for this I'm going to write, as some think that the situation of uncertainty that now lives in the municipality of Zurgena after the motion of censure submitted, requires first and foremost a public explanation and according to the seriousness of such democratic act. I however, outdated in the next few days, after meeting the 8 Councillors who signed we will give all the explanations just necessary and relevant so that it includes in its maximum fullness, all the whys of this situation.
They are 6, 15 in the morning and am going to use my facebook to explain just an opinion. Yes,...I know,... but I also know that here everything you write is not it misrepresents because no media manipulates it. In the next few days when all the Councillors have the well-written writing you send to all means of communication and that writing will be which really weighing, weighing,... because it will have the consensus of 8 people. I split this from any responsibility my colleagues about the impact that may have the words that I advance here at any given time.

"I understand the circumstances and situations better than many think. In fact, when I take major decisions in my life, I usually prepare for the worst and feel that I am, because it is simply so. Although I admit that sometimes "worst" come further from what you could imagine.
I understand that things are not easy in this life and these days much less, in fact, what really deserves the penalty, it becomes very difficult, at times, so difficult that may seem impossible. But gentlemen, I can assure and on very good authority that if I have learnt anything over the years, is "everything is possible". And in Zurgena, although many do not believe it still, 8 of 11 Councillors of different political signs, have reached agreement having as main objective the benefit and welfare of its people. And I know that hard some labour understand that. And I know, forgive the repetition, that slap in the face to those who believe are owners of certain political acronym going to take its toll and perhaps too much face. But don't hesitate to get you that for me, any of those signatory 7 Councillors deserve more respect than any representative of popularity of the PSOE, PP, PA...They have been able to show me their support even playing much more of what some might imagine;
A project for our municipality, which goes mainly to adopt a general plan and achieve urban regularization of our people and thus achieve a more than necessary economic and social recovery.
I have faced this challenge as zurgenero, because so am I and later as a Socialist but bearing in mind that above political acronym is my people and my party colleagues. Representatives of the PSOE I can or not support,... being always very aware of profitability that would be for the attainment of our common goal, as everyone knows the importance of the JUNTA de Andalucía in this issue in particular. But yes,...If you believe that many pressures, statements and attacks that make I will give in my word to my classmates; from this moment advancement you are wasting your time. 3 Councillors of the Corporation that are missing can be included and given always option because I simply understand that the City Council currently needs, like it or not, their 11 Councillors rowing in the same direction.
He said an article these days than in politics not "anything goes". It turns out that now fight for the interests of a people being all Councillors together, it is crime. It should be an obligation and more, in an extreme case like the now...Just like when the floods of September 28. Some say that it is an almost impossible dream... then I could accept it but gentlemen "gerifalte" make no mistake in politics, first is the town and then we, as politicians. And if by some remote chance of fate, the motion come out ahead, and had a pinch of political force, you take into consideration that buses will be available to all the zurgeneros in direction to Seville in search of a Real solution to the problem of housing.
I know that they will try to break this motion to bombard all my companions,... but if these leaders were a little dignity and size policy not to say class, which would have to do is "Understand and support" and but want to because according to them how important are the acronyms and their rivalries that the spectacle of the circus is not over,.. .for that just focus their attacks towards me, that in the end I'm going proposed as Mayor.
Some I take by a crazy,..."even will be that they will wish that that day I only find but they do not know is that I have my consciousness very quiet and that the fact of having felt such support have already won".