Foreign voters angry and frusrated

NOTHING has been decided yet in Calvia but a section of the electorate is already feeling disgruntled about how the majority vote may be ignored when the new council is formed on Saturday at mid-day. However, while some voters are angry and frustrated, many, in particular foreign residents, are pleased that their vote may well have made a difference to the political scene in Calvia. The majority voted for the conservative Partido Popular which won ten seats, compared to the socialists' nine and the Majorcan Union party's two, according to figures released by the Census department. The foreign voters are also pleased they were able to play an effective part in the democratic process in the municipality in which they live, say local political groups. Nevertheless, since the May 24 local elections, many foreigners have become increasingly confused about how the political process in which they played such an active part, actually works. Residents from the United Kingdom, France and Germany, where the electoral processes are different, are particularly confused about what is going on in Calvia where one party, the PP, won more votes than any other. “The Calvia Experience” has, however, not gone unnoticed on the mainland and many foreign resident associations have been in contact with colleagues in Calvia to learn more about “The Calvia Experience” and congratulate the foreign community for making its voice heard. But, whether the foreign voice will be heard so loudly in four years time remains to be seen. At the end of the day, fewer foreign residents voted this time around than four years ago and some local politicians with close relations to the foreign community are concerned that “confused” and “disappointing” results in key municipalities such as Calvia could dishearten the foreign electorate, leaving some residents feeling “duped” by the political process. On the other hand, an “unsatisfactory” result for the foreign electorate may encourage more to get involved in the process over the next four years and spark a bigger turnout at the next round of local elections. For the meantime, the clock is ticking and the original date for the new Calvia council to be formed still stands.
The new councillors will be elected on Saturday at midday, despite an attempt by acting Mayor Margarita Najera to have the meeting postponed while a voting slip was contested. The electoral college rejected her appeal which could have led to the forming of the council being held back to July 4. Political negotiations continued yesterday although Kate Mentink, the PP's British candidate in Calvia, said that the party is “quietly confident” its candidate Carlos Delgado will be sworn in as the new mayor of Saturday.