1999 Murcian regional election

1999 Murcian regional election

13 June 1999
All 45 seats in the Regional Assembly of Murcia 23 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered	911,054 7.4%
Turnout	616,397 (67.7%) 7.6 pp
First party Second party Third party   170x170px 170x170px 170x170px Leader Ramón Luis Valcárcel Ramón Ortiz Antonio Joaquín Dólera Party People's Party of the Region of Murcia Socialist Party of the Region of Murcia IURM Leader since 5 October 1991 1995 1995 Leader's seat Three Three Three Last election 26 seats, 52.2% 15 seats, 31.9% 4 seats, 12.5% Seats won 26 18 1 Seat change 0 3 3 Popular vote 323,446 219,798 42,839 Percentage 52.8% 35.9% 7.0% Swing 0.6 pp 4.0 pp 5.5 pp
350px Constituency results map for the Regional Assembly of Murcia
President before election Ramón Luis Valcárcel People's Party of the Region of Murcia Elected President Ramón Luis Valcárcel People's Party of the Region of Murcia

The 1999 Murcian regional election was held on Sunday, 13 June 1999, to elect the 5th Regional Assembly of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia. All 45 seats in the Regional Assembly were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in twelve other autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain, as well as the 1999 European Parliament election.

Overview

Electoral system

The Regional Assembly of Murcia was the devolved, unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of Murcia, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Murcian Statute of Autonomy, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a regional president.

Voting for the Regional Assembly was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age, registered in the Region of Murcia and in full enjoyment of their political rights. The 45 members of the Regional Assembly of Murcia were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with an electoral threshold of five percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied regionally. Seats were allocated to constituencies, which were established by law as follows:

• District One (comprising the municipalities of Lorca, Aguilas, Puerto Lumbreras, Totana, Alhama de Murcia, Librilla, Aledo and Mazarrón).
• District Two (comprising the municipalities of Cartagena, La Unión, Fuente Alamo de Murcia, Torre-Pacheco, San Javier, San Pedro del Pinatar and Los Alcázares).
• District Three (comprising the municipalities of Murcia, Alcantarilla, Beniel, Molina de Segura, Alguazas, Las Torres de Cotillas, Lorquí, Ceutí, Cieza, Abarán, Blanca, Archena, Ricote, Ulea, Villanueva del Río Segura, Ojós, Fortuna, Abanilla and Santomera).
• District Four (comprising the municipalities of Caravaca, Cehegín, Calasparra, Moratalla, Bullas, Pliego, Mula, Albudeite and Campos del Río).
• District Five (comprising the municipalities of Yecla and Jumilla).

Each constituency was entitled to an initial minimum of one seat, with the remaining 40 allocated among the constituencies in proportion to their populations.

Election date

The term of the Regional Assembly of Murcia expired four years after the date of its previous election. Elections to the Regional Assembly were fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years. Legal amendments introduced in 1998 allowed for these to be held together with European Parliament elections, provided that they were scheduled for within a four month-timespan. The previous election was held on 28 May 1995, setting the election date for the Regional Assembly concurrently with a European Parliament election on Sunday, 13 June 1999.

After legal amendments in 1998, the president was granted the prerogative to dissolve the Regional Assembly of Murcia and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence was in process, no nationwide election was due and some time requirements were met: namely, that dissolution did not occur either during the first legislative session or within the legislature's last year ahead of its scheduled expiry, nor before one year had elapsed since a previous dissolution under this procedure. In the event of an investiture process failing to elect a regional president within a two-month period from the first ballot, the Regional Assembly was to be automatically dissolved and a fresh election called. Any snap election held as a result of these circumstances would not alter the period to the next ordinary election, with elected deputies merely serving out what remained of their four-year terms.

Parties and candidates

The electoral law allowed for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, coalitions and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form a coalition ahead of an election were required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within ten days of the election call, whereas groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of at least one percent of the electorate in the Region of Murcia, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates.

Below is a list of the main parties and electoral alliances which contested the election:

Candidacy		Parties and alliances	Leading candidate		Ideology	Previous result		Gov.	Ref.
						Votes (%)	Seats
	PP	List People's Party (PP)	50px	Ramón Luis Valcárcel	Conservatism Christian democracy	52.23%	26	Y
	PSOE	List Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)	50px	Ramón Ortiz	Social democracy	31.87%	15	N
	IURM	List United Left of the Region of Murcia (IURM)	50px	Antonio Joaquín Dólera	Socialism Communism	12.46%	4	N

Opinion polls

The table below lists voting intention estimates in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent first and using the dates when the survey fieldwork was done, as opposed to the date of publication. Where the fieldwork dates are unknown, the date of publication is given instead. The highest percentage figure in each polling survey is displayed with its background shaded in the leading party's colour. If a tie ensues, this is applied to the figures with the highest percentages. The "Lead" column on the right shows the percentage-point difference between the parties with the highest percentages in a poll. When available, seat projections determined by the polling organisations are displayed below (or in place of) the percentages in a smaller font; 23 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Regional Assembly of Murcia.

Polling firm/Commissioner	Fieldwork date	Sample size	Turnout	PP	PSOE	IU	Lead
1999 regional election	13 Jun 1999	N/A	67.7	52.8 26	35.9 18	7.0 1	16.9
Eco Consulting/ABC	24 May–2 Jun 1999	?	?	54.2 26/27	30.6 14/15	11.4 3	23.6
Demoscopia/El País	26 May–1 Jun 1999	?	71	55.1 27	33.9 16	9.3 2	21.2
Sigma Dos/El Mundo	17–23 May 1999	600	?	54.2 26/27	32.1 15	10.7 3/4	22.1
CIS	3–23 May 1999	1,297	74.8	55.9 27	31.0 15	10.4 3	24.9
1996 general election	3 Mar 1996	N/A	82.0	49.9	38.0	10.5	11.9
1995 regional election	28 May 1995	N/A	76.0	52.3 26	31.7 15	12.5 4	20.6

Results

Overall

← Summary of the 13 June 1999 Regional Assembly of Murcia election results →

325px
Parties and alliances		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Total	+/−
	People's Party (PP)	323,446	52.84	+0.61	26	±0
	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)	219,798	35.91	+4.04	18	+3
	United Left of the Region of Murcia (IURM)	42,839	7.00	–5.46	1	–3
	The Greens (LV)	5,683	0.93	New	0	±0
	Spanish Democratic Party (PADE)	5,527	0.90	New	0	±0
	Centrist Union–Democratic and Social Centre (UC–CDS)	1,845	0.30	–0.39	0	±0
	Minor Sea Independent Party–Neighbourhood Indep. Movement (PIMM–MIV)	1,579	0.26	New	0	±0
	Union of the Peoples of Murcia (UPM)	1,502	0.25	New	0	±0
	Citizens' Convergence of the South-East (CCSE)	844	0.14	New	0	±0
	National Workers' Party (PNT)	168	0.03	New	0	±0
Blank ballots		8,839	1.44	+0.33
Total		612,070			45	±0
Valid votes		612,070	99.30	+0.16
Invalid votes		4,327	0.70	–0.16
Votes cast / turnout		616,397	67.66	–7.61
Abstentions		294,657	32.34	+7.61
Registered voters		911,054
Sources

Popular vote
PP			52.84%
PSOE			35.91%
IURM			7.00%
Others			2.80%
Blank ballots			1.44%

Seats
PP			57.78%
PSOE			40.00%
IURM			2.22%

Distribution by constituency

Constituency	PP		PSOE		IURM
	%	S	%	S	%	S
One	43.5	3	43.6	4	8.3	−
Two	54.6	6	33.6	4	6.0	−
Three	56.3	13	33.2	7	6.4	1
Four	46.9	2	44.2	2	7.0	−
Five	49.9	2	33.8	1	13.3	−
Total	52.8	26	35.9	18	7.0	1
Sources

Aftermath

Investiture Ramón Luis Valcárcel (PP)
Ballot →		8 July 1999
Required majority →		23 out of 45 Y
	Yes • PP (26)	26 / 45
	No • PSOE (18) • IURM (1)	19 / 45
	Abstentions	0 / 45
	Absentees	0 / 45
Sources

References

Opinion poll sources

Other