Balearic regional election, 1983

Balearic regional election, 1983

8 May 1983
All 54 seats in the Parliament of the Balearic Islands 28 seats needed for a majority
Registered	488,336
Turnout	315,795 (64.7%)
First party Second party Third party   Leader Gabriel Cañellas Félix Pons Jeroni Albertí Party AP–PDP–UL PSOE UM–PDL Leader since 1980 1979 1982 Leader's seat Majorca Majorca Majorca Seats won 21 21 7 Popular vote 110,629 107,906 50,811 Percentage 35.6% 34.7% 16.3%
Constituency results map for the Parliament of the Balearic Islands
President before election Francesc Tutzó UCD Elected President Gabriel Cañellas AP–PDP–UL

The 1983 Balearic regional election was held on Sunday, 8 May 1983, to elect the 1st Parliament of the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands. All 54 seats in the Parliament were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in 12 other autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.

The regional picture, at first glance, had been dominated by the Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD), heading the pre-autonomic government since 1978 and having won the 1979 elections to the Majorca and Minorca Island Councils. However, the UCD was dissolved in early 1983 after its disastrous defeat in the 1982 Spanish general election, with its supporters fleeing to the People's Alliance (AP), the People's Democratic Party (PDP) or, as one of its erstwhile leaders, the newly founded Majorcan Union (UM). Other parties which had also contested the Island Council elections four year previously were regional branch of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, the Socialist Party of Majorca or the Communist Party of the Balearic Islands. There was no electoral law passed, but the 1983 Statute of Autonomy did provide for a provisional distribution of seats per island until the community could have its own electoral law.

The Socialists won the islands of Majorca, Menorca and Formentera, but its lead over its competitors there was so small that the broad People's Coalition (AP–PDP–UL) victory in Ibiza provided for a centre-right narrow victory overall. The AP–PDP–UL coalition emerged as the largest force with 21 seats, followed closely by the PSOE with another 21 seats and UM with 6. The centre-right candidate, Gabriel Cañellas, was able to access the regional government thanks to support from UM, the Liberal Democratic Party (PDL) and the Minorcan Independent Candidacy (CIM).

Electoral system

As the community did not possess an electoral law of its own at the time, the electoral system came regulated by the regional Statute of Autonomy and the provisional legislation regulating general elections: Royal Law-Decree 20/1977, of 18 March. The number of seats in the Parliament was set to 54, with deputies being elected in 3 multi-member districts, each corresponding to one of the three largest islands in the archipelago: Majorca was entitled 30 seats; Menorca with 12 and Ibiza with 11. Additionally, Formentera elected one member using plurality voting. Seats were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed-list proportional representation system, with an election threshold of 3% of valid votes for each district (which included blank ballots—for none of the above).

Results

Overall

Summary of the 8 May 1983 Parliament of the Balearic Islands election results →

Parties and coalitions		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Won	+/−
	People's Coalition (AP–PDP–UL)	110,629	35.58	—	21	—
	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)	107,906	34.71	—	21	—

Distribution by constituency

Aftermath

Investiture vote

First round: 7 June 1983
Absolute majority (28/54) required

Candidate: Gabriel Cañellas
Choice		Vote
		Parties	Votes
	Y Yes	AP–PDP–UL (21), UM (6), PDL (1), CIM (1)	29 / 54
	No	PSOE (21), PSM (2), PSMen (2)	25 / 54
	Abstentions		0 / 54
Source: historiaelectoral.com

References

Elections in the Balearic Islands
Regional elections	1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 next
General elections	1977 1979 1982 1986 1989 1993 1996 2000 2004 2008 2011 2015 2016 next
European Parliament elections	1987 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 next