Not me guv

SUNDAY May 28 is election day in Spain with residents called to elect their local councils and, in some areas including the Balearic Islands, their regional representatives.

But Palma Town Hall has reported problems to form the municipal polling stations due to a surge in requests by potential members to be exempted from their duty.

In Spain the members of polling stations are chosen at random and it is obligatory to attend unless a plausible reason is given.

This week Palma Electoral Committee has been flooded with more than 1,300 exemption appeals offering all kinds of excuses not to be forced to sit at the electoral tables on Sunday ­ many more than previously expected.

The appeals are being presented by residents who have been chosen against their will by the city council to man the 433 polling stations that will be set up throughout Palma.

Town hall sources report that the majority of the requests have been rejected, but at the time of going to press on Wednesday many cases were still not decided and the council could have been forced to extend the draw to choose new members.

According to a study carried out by the Mallorca Parents’ Association Federation in collaboration with several other organisations, public schools in the Balearic Islands charge an average of €7 for meals, which is the highest price anywhere in the country.

According to the study, four catering companies sup­ ply 70 per cent of public schools in Mallorca, with meal prices ranging from €4.70 to more than €8.

Furthermore, the research reveals that there is very little presence of local and ecological products on menus on the island, as the latest contract signed between the regional government and the catering companies placed price over quality due to the crisis.

Around 13,000 schoolchil­

PART of the work being carried out to install new water pipes at Palma’s Plaza de España has been put on hold due to damage caused to the ancient city wall.

The Heritage department of the Mallorca Island Council has ordered a temporary halt until an archaeologist works out the best route for the pipes to follow to prevent further damage to the historical remains.

A local architect raised the alarm when he saw that the channelling work had partially affected the remains and this week warned that despite the partial halt ordered by the authorities, workers are continuing to damage the wall and are even allegedly covering over new archaeological dren in the Balearic Islands frequently use the dinner service, which constitutes 20 per cent of the total number of students enrolled at public schools ­ less than half the national average. Another point raised by the study is a widespread failure to uphold a decree by the Govern limiting the amount of processed and industrial food products on sale at school cafeterias and vending machines.