The right to vote

By Jason Moore AN estimated 100'000 non-Spaniards will be able to vote in next year's local elections, an all time record. Apart from having the vote they can also stand as candidates. It would be nice if more non-Spaniards actually stood for election. Calvia, has had a non-Spanish born councillor, for many years both for the socialists and the centre-right Partido Popular. The so-called foreign vote is expected to make a major difference next year but while I appreciate the efforts of the main political parties to incoporate non-Spaniards as their candidates I don't particularly like the idea that these “foreign councillors” are to look after the affairs of the foreign community. If the political parties are planning to recruit non-Spanish candidates they should be doing this not to tap into the new source of votes but because they have found the right person for the job who isn't necessarily Spanish and who will represent the whole community, Majorcans, mainland Spaniards and people who have been born abroad and who have made Majorca their home. Also, it would be nice if we, the non-Spanish Europeans, were also able to vote in the local government elections. At the moment we can only vote in council elections. Perhaps, a change in outlook is needed. While our voting rights are important they are still rather limited.