Calvia accused of foreign vote block

THE opposition Partido Popular in Calvia have accused the PSOE socialist-governed council of “restricting” the foreign vote.
The foreign resident vote in Calvia accounts for 22 per cent of the electorate, but according to the PP, the local council is trying to block residents wishing to register to vote by either telling them to come back a month before elections, by which time the deadline to register will have expired, or demanding a current Resident permit, which is not required to register to vote, according to the Partido Popular. PP candidate for Calvia Council, Kate Mentick said yesterday that the party is trying to get the town hall “to change its attitude, but they're saying nothing.”

TO VOTE

To vote at the May 25 election, foreign residents on the council register and who did not vote at the last elections, are required by the Census Office, to present themselves at their local town hall with a copy and the original of either the deeds to their property or a rental agreement of over six months and their passport or idenfication card and fill in the necessary forms. No need for a Resident permit. But the PP in Calvia has been contacted by German and British residents who have been “blocked” from registering to vote and what is more, it appears that foreign residents are complaining of similar blocking tactics in other Majorcan councils. Mentick said that the attitude of Calvia Council is typical of the present left wing Balearic government, adding that an increasing numner of foreign residents “feel pushed out of the picture” and marginalised. “I can only assume that the council is not interested in Europeans having the right to vote, but if you pay your taxes you have a democratic right to vote.” The Partido Popular in Calvia said yesterday “we have statements from a number of European residents that the council is restricting their right to vote.”

871 councils will be elected in May

On May 25, a total 871 councillors will be standing fort election in the Balearics' 67 municipalities, according to the central government delegate yesterday. Today in the Balearic Official State Bulletin, a full list of all councillors, broken down into local council will be published. The largest number of councillors on any one council standing for election will be in Palma where there will be a total of 29 candidates. In the very smallest areas, just seven councillors will be standing for election.