No 501
Monday, 23rd December, 2013
Tel: 96 673 0057
UNITED TO RULE
After 2 years battling in opposition, trying everything possible to return, from moves to discredit and plans to block salaries, the Partido Popular are set to return to govern following a pact with yet another arch enemy, the CLR. Now, brushing aside their differences, Pedro Mancebo and Juan Ignacio Lopez Bas of the CLR, have joined with the Partido Popular to make the necessary 13 names to sign a censure motion to overthrow the bipartite government team of the PSOE and Los Verdes, and return the PP to power. It was in the local elections of 2011 that the PP lost their control of Orihuela, a position they had held since 1987, with one opinion being that their neglect if the coastal zone had swung the vote away from their majority. The Partido Popular was ejected from rule after thirteen councillors from a PSOE, CLR-CLARO and Los Verdes coalition combined to form the government team. However, it was not long into
their tenure that Bob Houliston from CLARO resigned from government, saying that his reasons were because of the “systematic refusal of an element in the government to cooperate and coordinate their activities which concern the coast with me�, referring to Pedro Mancebo, who had been given more control of the coastal zone than Houliston thought appropriate. Asuncion Mayoral from CLR was later to be expelled from her political group too, both of these factors becoming a key point now. Most recently, Antonia Moreno, the head of the PSOE, also resigned from her role as deputy mayor. In January, 2013, Pedro Mancebo was also expelled from the government by the Mayor, which prompted the resignation of his colleague, Juan Ignacio Lopez Bas. In the summer of 2013, the PP, along with Bob Houliston, attempted the signing of a censure motion, but this move failed on account of confusion and controversy of who should lead, and disagreement within the ranks of the Orihuela PP as to the lack of approval up their chain of command. Continued on Page 2