Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 1991
Encyclopedia
The Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 1991 were the third democratic elections to the Corts Valencianes
, the Valencian regional parliament, since the Spanish transition to democracy
and were held on 26 May 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, Alicante 29 (an increase of one seat relative to 1987), and Castellon 22 (a decrease of one seat relative to 1987.) Only lists which polled 5% or more in the entire Valencian Community were eligible for seats, this represented an increase on the 3% which had been required at the 1983 and 1987 elections. Seats were then allocated on a Provincial basis using the D'Hondt method
of allocation. Out of a total of 2,916,465 voters, the turnout was 2,019,411 (69.2 %).
The increase in the Electoral threshold caused two parties, the Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) and the Unitat del Poble Valencià (UPV), to lose their representation in the Corts. The UPV had ended the electoral alliance that they had formed with United Left
(IU) at the 1987 election. As in 1983, the previous occasion when UPV had contested the elections individually, they were unsuccessful. As in other Spanish communities, CDS saw a substantial drop in their votes from 11.4% in 1987 to 3.8% in 1991 causing them to lose all their 11 seats. The poor results across Spain caused the resignation of party leader and former Spanish Prime Minister Adolfo Suarez
.
For the third and final time to date, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
(PSPV-PSOE) won the elections and regained the overall majority of seats that they had lost at the 1987 elections.
The new People's Party (Spain)
, which had been formed from a merger of the Popular Alliance
(AP) and other right wing parties in January 1989, were the biggest gainers in the election, gaining 6 seats. The right wing regional party Unió Valenciana
(UV) also improved their position and won their first seat in Castellon province.
IU gained the two seats which UPV had won in 1987.
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 20,606 votes (1.0%) 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 26 May 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, Alicante 29 (an increase of one seat relative to 1987), and Castellon 22 (a decrease of one seat relative to 1987.) Only lists which polled 5% or more in the entire Valencian Community were eligible for seats, this represented an increase on the 3% which had been required at the 1983 and 1987 elections. Seats 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 2,916,465 voters, the turnout was 2,019,411 (69.2 %).
The increase in the Electoral threshold caused two parties, the Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) and the Unitat del Poble Valencià (UPV), to lose their representation in the Corts. The UPV had ended the electoral alliance that they had formed with 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) at the 1987 election. As in 1983, the previous occasion when UPV had contested the elections individually, they were unsuccessful. As in other Spanish communities, CDS saw a substantial drop in their votes from 11.4% in 1987 to 3.8% in 1991 causing them to lose all their 11 seats. The poor results across Spain caused the resignation of party leader and former Spanish Prime Minister Adolfo Suarez
Adolfo Suárez
Adolfo Suárez y González, 1st Duke of Suárez, Grandee of Spain, KOGF is a Spanish lawyer and politician. Suárez was Spain's first democratically elected prime minister after the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, and the key figure in the country's transition to democracy.-Parents:He is a son of...
.
For the third and final time to date, 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 and regained the overall majority of seats that they had lost at the 1987 elections.
The new People's Party (Spain)
People's Party (Spain)
The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
, which had been formed from a merger of 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) and other right wing parties in January 1989, were the biggest gainers in the election, gaining 6 seats. The right wing regional party Unió Valenciana
Unió Valenciana
Valencian Union was a nationalist political party in the Valencian Community, Spain....
(UV) also improved their position and won their first seat in Castellon province.
IU gained the two seats which UPV had won in 1987.
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 PP, Pedro Agramunt Font de Mora.
- for UV, Hèctor Villalba.
- for IU, Albert Taberner.
- for CDS, Alejandro Font de Mora.
The new Corts re-elected the socialist Joan Lerma as Valencian President.
Results
| ← |
|||
| Party | Votes | % | Seats |
| PSPV-PSOE | 860,429 | 43.3 | 45 |
| People's Party (Spain) People's Party (Spain) The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship... |
558,617 | 28.1 | 31 |
| Unió Valenciana Unió Valenciana Valencian Union was a nationalist political party in the Valencian Community, Spain.... |
208,126 | 10.5 | 7 |
| 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... |
151,242 | 7.6 | 6 |
| Democratic and Social Centre | 76,433 | 3.8 | |
| Unitat del Poble Valencià | 73,813 | 3.70 | |
| Greens Confederation of The Greens The Confederation of the Greens is a green political party in Spain.... |
35,375 | 1.2 | |
| Others | 25,035 | 1.1 | |
Additionally 20,606 votes (1.0%) were cast "en blanco" i.e. for "none of the above."