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Centre Pages
Granny
Elections 2011: Results and pacts The votes are counted but the negotiations continue
on wheels:
Meet Brigitte Kleine, a German grandmother who is cycling around the world
Under the sea There’s a new
classroom, underwater, at El Puertito in Adeje
Adiós Nino Page 12
Buying, Selling and Renting
/ 1.80€ at Newsagents / www.islandconnections.eu / www.newscanarias.net
Page 4
Property Connections Pull Out
3rd June - 16th June2011
Pages 2
Edition # 644 /
fans say goodbye to Nino as the exodus of players to the upper divisions takes off
Deal done?
Sacrifices needed to firm up pact
Page 55
16 Page Pullout
Guide
Pages 08-09
Cucumber wars
Spain not to blame
he damage is done. Too late the German T experts have decided,
following an investigation, that neither Spain nor Spanish cucumbers were to blame for the fatal E Coli outbreak calculating that over €200 that has caused at least million has been lost over the false claims, with the scare 16 deaths.
F
our years ago the victorious socialists were denied seats at the top table as the Coalición Canarias and the Partido Popular did a deal to share power and see the party that won the popular vote consigned to the opposition benches – so is history repeating itself? Certainly the regional PP leader Soria would disagree and has argued that he has the right to assume the regional presidency having seen his party increase its seats in the regional parliament from 15 to 21. Unfortunately the rules of democracy would beg to differ, and an overall majority is needed if one party is to assume office without the support of others. And so the dealing began and as we go to press it would seem that, bar a few t-crossings and i-dottings, Paulino Rivero will retain the regional presidency as the CC, with 21 seats, enter a new partnership with the Canarian socialists, 15 seats, under José Miguel Pérez, who will be the
CD Tenerife
As we go to press a 50 year old woman in Sweden became the first casualty outside Germany, with 15 more ill. According to authorities she had recently returned from Germany. The Hamburg health minister Cornelia PrüferStorcks has now stated that while some of the seized vegetables were contaminated, it was not with the strain that has led to this fatal epidemic. But already Spanish farmers are
(l-r) Partners in government? Canarian socialist leader José Miguel Pérez and current regional president Paulino Rivero
new vice president. It would appear that the minor partners will have three ministers at the cabinet table as well. All this has been helped by the CC’s continuing support for the Zapatero government in votes at national level.
But the pact will also have a ‘cascade’ effect and will see deals done down the line, which is forcing both sides to make some sacrifices. The biggest casualty of the agreement being brokered between the Canarian Coalition and the PSOE party
is probably going to be José Manuel Bermúdez, the latter’s candidate for mayor in Santa Cruz and considered a near certainty for election prior to 22 May. Bermúdez, who lost narrowly to the Popular Party’s Cristina Tavío but could have
expected to be given the job as part of an overall deal with the PSOE, was under pressure to step aside in favour of the PSOE’s Julio Pérez in return for the PSOE support at regional and Cabildo level. Regarding the latter, the deal would see Ricardo Melchior remain in office in Tenerife for another four
spreading to encompass vegetables in general from Spanish producers as well as in the Canary Islands. Not surprisingly the country’s minister for agriculture Rosa Aguilar has called for compensation to cover the losses caused by the false claims about their vegetables. “Spanish vegetables are safe,” she said, and criticised those in Hamburg for making claims about Spanish produce “without any proof”. years. At local level the trickle down effect won’t go too far as local issues and power brokers take over, and while the PP and PSOE might be arch enemies at national level, in some town halls around the islands these strange bed fellows are happily sharing the sheets. See inside for more details.
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