Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 1987
Encyclopedia
The Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 1987 were the second democratic elections to the Corts Valencianes
, the Valencian regional parliament, since the Spanish transition to democracy
and were held on 10 June of that year. The elections were held using closed list
proportional representation
in three electoral districts corresponding to each of the three Provinces of the Valencian Community. With a total number of 89 seats, Valencia elected 37 members (an increase of two seats relative to 1983), Alicante 29 and Castellon 23 (a decrease of two seats relative to 1983.) Only lists which polled 3% or more in the entire Valencian Community were eligible for seats, which were then allocated on a Provincial basis using the D'Hondt method
of allocation. Out of a total of 2,654,967 voters, the turnout was 1,931,142 or 72.74% of the total.
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
(PSPV-PSOE) won the elections, but lost 9 of the 51 seats that they had won in 1983. As a result they lost their absolute majority.
The elections saw a significant increase in the vote of the centrist Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) who increased their vote from 1.9% in 1983 to 11.4% in 1987. CDS' greatest support came in Alicante Province, where they polled 14.5%
The parties of the right, which had formed an electoral alliance for the 1983 election, had terminated that alliance in 1986 and the result was that the Popular Alliance
(AP), Unió Valenciana
(UV) and the Democratic Popular Party
contested the elections individually with separate AP and UV lists winning seats. All of the 6 UV seats were won in Valencia Province. During the course of the legislature, 2 AP deputies defected to UV, among them the former leader of AP in the Valencian Community, Manuel Giner Miralles
. Another AP deputy defected to the CDS.
The Communist Party of Spain (PCE), which polled 7.5% in the 1983 elections, had formed the electoral alliance United Left
(IU) in April 1986 with other smaller left wing parties across Spain. In Valencia, IU in turn allied itself with Unitat del Poble Valencià (UPV), a left wing regional party which had polled 3.1% in 1983 and had narrowly missed winning seats. The IU-UPV alliance failed to improve the performance of the 2 parties in 1983, polling 7.5% and winning 6 seats: exactly the same figures that the PCE had obtained in 1983. Of the 6 deputies elected in 1987, 4 belonged to IU and 2 to UPV. The alliance broke up during the course of the 1987-1991 legislature.
The regional leader of each party was the candidate for President. These were:-
The new Corts re-elected the socialist Joan Lerma as Valencian President.
Additionally 21,497 votes (1.1 %) were cast "en blanco" i.e. for "none of the above."
Corts Valencianes
The Corts Valencianes are the main legislative body of the Generalitat Valenciana and therefore of the Valencian Community. The main location of the Corts is in the Palace of Benicarló in Valencia; however it can meet at any location in Valencian territory. The Corts has its origins in bodies...
, the Valencian regional parliament, since the Spanish transition to democracy
Spanish transition to democracy
The Spanish transition to democracy was the era when Spain moved from the dictatorship of Francisco Franco to a liberal democratic state. The transition is usually said to have begun with Franco’s death on 20 November 1975, while its completion has been variously said to be marked by the Spanish...
and were held on 10 June of that year. The elections were held using closed list
Closed list
Closed list describes the variant of party-list proportional representation where voters can only vote for political parties as a whole and thus have no influence on the party-supplied order in which party candidates are elected...
proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
in three electoral districts corresponding to each of the three Provinces of the Valencian Community. With a total number of 89 seats, Valencia elected 37 members (an increase of two seats relative to 1983), Alicante 29 and Castellon 23 (a decrease of two seats relative to 1983.) Only lists which polled 3% or more in the entire Valencian Community were eligible for seats, which were then allocated on a Provincial basis using the D'Hondt method
D'Hondt method
The d'Hondt method is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. The method described is named after Belgian mathematician Victor D'Hondt who described it in 1878...
of allocation. Out of a total of 2,654,967 voters, the turnout was 1,931,142 or 72.74% of the total.
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
(PSPV-PSOE) won the elections, but lost 9 of the 51 seats that they had won in 1983. As a result they lost their absolute majority.
The elections saw a significant increase in the vote of the centrist Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) who increased their vote from 1.9% in 1983 to 11.4% in 1987. CDS' greatest support came in Alicante Province, where they polled 14.5%
The parties of the right, which had formed an electoral alliance for the 1983 election, had terminated that alliance in 1986 and the result was that the Popular Alliance
Popular Alliance (Spain)
The People's Alliance was a electoral coalition, and later a political party, founded in 1976 by Manuel Fraga along with six other former Francoist ministers.- History :...
(AP), Unió Valenciana
Unió Valenciana
Valencian Union was a nationalist political party in the Valencian Community, Spain....
(UV) and the Democratic Popular Party
Democratic Popular Party (Spain)
The People's Democratic Party was a christian-democratic Spanish political party.It was part of the Democratic Centre Union until 1982, when it entered into alliance with the Popular Alliance , which received the second largest number of votes in 1982 and 1986 elections.In 1989 the party, along...
contested the elections individually with separate AP and UV lists winning seats. All of the 6 UV seats were won in Valencia Province. During the course of the legislature, 2 AP deputies defected to UV, among them the former leader of AP in the Valencian Community, Manuel Giner Miralles
Manuel Giner Miralles
Manuel Giner Miralles is a Spanish doctor, entrepreneur and politician.-Early elections:Giner was one of the founder members of the Popular Alliance in the Valencian Community and was a member of the party's Provincial Executive Committee...
. Another AP deputy defected to the CDS.
The Communist Party of Spain (PCE), which polled 7.5% in the 1983 elections, had formed the electoral alliance United Left
United Left (Spain)
The United Left is a political coalition that was organized in 1986 bringing together several political organisations opposed to Spain joining NATO. It was formed by a number of groups of leftists, greens, left-wing socialists and republicans, but was dominated by the Communist Party of Spain...
(IU) in April 1986 with other smaller left wing parties across Spain. In Valencia, IU in turn allied itself with Unitat del Poble Valencià (UPV), a left wing regional party which had polled 3.1% in 1983 and had narrowly missed winning seats. The IU-UPV alliance failed to improve the performance of the 2 parties in 1983, polling 7.5% and winning 6 seats: exactly the same figures that the PCE had obtained in 1983. Of the 6 deputies elected in 1987, 4 belonged to IU and 2 to UPV. The alliance broke up during the course of the 1987-1991 legislature.
Election of President of the Valencian Community
One of the first tasks of the newly elected deputies was to elect the President of the Valencian Community.The regional leader of each party was the candidate for President. These were:-
- for PSOE-PSPV, Joan LermaJoan LermaJoan Lerma i Blasco is a Spanish politician for the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party , who served as the first democratically elected President of the Valencian Community since the restoration of democracy in the 1970s....
. - for AP, Rita Barberà.
- for CDS, José Luis Boado.
- for UV, Filibert Crespo
- for IU-UPV, Albert Taberner.
The new Corts re-elected the socialist Joan Lerma as Valencian President.
Results
| ← |
|||
| Party | Votes | % | Seats |
| PSPV-PSOE | 828,961 | 41.72 | 42 |
| Popular Alliance Popular Alliance (Spain) The People's Alliance was a electoral coalition, and later a political party, founded in 1976 by Manuel Fraga along with six other former Francoist ministers.- History :... |
476,009 | 23.95 | 25 |
| Democratic and Social Centre | 225,663 | 11.36 | 10 |
| Unió Valenciana Unió Valenciana Valencian Union was a nationalist political party in the Valencian Community, Spain.... |
183,541 | 9.24 | 6 |
| United Left United Left (Spain) The United Left is a political coalition that was organized in 1986 bringing together several political organisations opposed to Spain joining NATO. It was formed by a number of groups of leftists, greens, left-wing socialists and republicans, but was dominated by the Communist Party of Spain... – UPV |
142,570 | 7.51 | 6 |
| Socialist Worker’s Party-Communist Unity | 33,770 | 1.70 | |
| Greens Confederation of The Greens The Confederation of the Greens is a green political party in Spain.... |
22,262 | 1.12 | |
| Democratic Popular Party Democratic Popular Party (Spain) The People's Democratic Party was a christian-democratic Spanish political party.It was part of the Democratic Centre Union until 1982, when it entered into alliance with the Popular Alliance , which received the second largest number of votes in 1982 and 1986 elections.In 1989 the party, along... |
20,171 | 1.02 | |
| Valencian Electoral Coalition | 11,984 | 0.60 | |
| VERDE | 5,056 | 0.25 | |
| Spanish Communist Unification | 4,325 | 0.22 | |
| Valencian Nationalist Left-URV | 4,175 | 0.21 | |
| Humanist Party Humanist Party (Spain) The Humanist Party is a Spanish political party founded in 1984 and is a member of the Humanist International.-External links:* *... |
3,658 | 0.18 | |
| Republican Popular Unity Coalition | 3,309 | 0.17 | |
| Leftist Front | 2,295 | 0.12 | |
| International Socialist Workers Party | 1,884 | 0.09 | |
Additionally 21,497 votes (1.1 %) were cast "en blanco" i.e. for "none of the above."