Basque regional election, 1984

Basque regional election, 1984
Basque Country (autonomous community)
26 February 1984
All 75 seats in the Basque Parliament
38 seats needed for a majority
Registered 1,584,540 1.9%
Turnout 1,085,304 (68.5%)
8.7 pp

  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Carlos Garaikoetxea Txiki Benegas —
Party EAJ/PNV PSE–PSOE HB
Leader since 1977 1977 —
Leader's seat Guipúzcoa Biscay —
Last election 25 seats, 38.0% 9 seats, 14.2% 11 seats, 16.5%
Seats won 32 19 11
Seat change 7 10 0
Popular vote 451,178 247,786 157,389
Percentage 41.8% 23.0% 14.6%
Swing 3.8 pp 8.8 pp 1.9 pp
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Leader Jaime Mayor Oreja Mario Onaindia
Party AP–PDP–PL EE
Leader since 1984 1982
Leader's seat Guipúzcoa Álava
Last election 2 seats, 4.8% 6 seats, 9.8%
Seats won 7 6
Seat change 5 0
Popular vote 100,581 85,671
Percentage 9.3% 7.9%
Swing 4.5 pp 1.9 pp

Constituency results map for the Basque Parliament
Lehendakari before election

Carlos Garaikoetxea
EAJ/PNV

 Elected Lehendakari

Carlos Garaikoetxea
EAJ/PNV

The 1984 Basque regional election was held on Sunday, 26 February 1984, to elect the 2nd Parliament of the Basque Autonomous Community. All 75 seats in the Parliament were up for election.

The Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) won 32 seats, the Socialist Party of the Basque Country (PSE–PSOE) came second with 19 seats, People's Unity (HB) came third with 11 seats, the People's Coalition (AP–PDP–UL) won 7 seats, and Basque Country Left (EE) won 6 seats.

Electoral system

The 75 members of the Basque Parliament were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with a threshold of 5 per 100 of valid votes—which, unlike other electoral legislation in Spain, did not include blank ballots—being applied in each constituency. Parties not reaching the threshold were not taken into consideration for seat distribution. Seats were allocated to constituencies, corresponding to the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Guipúzcoa. Each constituency was allocated a fixed number of 25 seats each, to provide for an equal representation of the three provinces in Parliament as required under the regional Statute of Autonomy.[n 1][2][3] Voting was on the basis of universal suffrage, with all nationals over eighteen, registered in the Basque Country and in full enjoyment of all political rights entitled to vote.

The electoral law provided that parties, federations, coalitions and groupings of electors were allowed to present lists of candidates. However, groupings of electors were required to secure at least the signature of 500 electors entered in electoral register of the constituency for which they were seeking election. Electors were barred from signing for more than one list of candidates. Concurrently, parties and federations intending to enter in coalition to take part jointly at an election were required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within fifteen days from the election call.[2][4]

Elections could be held up to 45 days from the previous legislature's expiry date, which would take place four years after the previous election.[n 2] A legal amendment in 1981 granted the Lehendakari the prerogative to dissolve the Parliament and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence was in process. Additionally, the chamber was to be automatically dissolved and a new election called if an investiture process failed to elect a Lehendakari within a 60-day period from the Parliament re-assembly.[5]

Results

Overall

← Summary of the 26 February 1984 Basque Parliament election results →
Parties and coalitions Popular vote Seats
Votes % ±pp Won +/−
Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) 451,178 41.81 +3.86 32 +7
Socialist Party of the Basque Country (PSE–PSOE) 247,786 22.96 +8.80 19 +10
Popular Unity (HB) 157,389 14.59 –1.89 11 ±0
People's Coalition (AP–PDP–UL)1 100,581 9.32 +4.56 7 +5
Basque Country Left (EE) 85,671 7.94 –1.84 6 ±0
Communist Party of the Basque Country (PCE/EPK) 14,985 1.39 –2.62 0 –1
Blank ballots3 5,029 0.47 +0.08
Total 1,079,057 100.00 75 +15
Valid votes 1,079,057 99.42 +0.41
Invalid votes 6,247 0.58 –0.41
Votes cast / turnout 1,085,304 68.49 +8.73
Abstentions 499,236 31.51 –8.73
Registered voters 1,584,540
Source(s): Basque Government, historiaelectoral.com
Popular vote
EAJ/PNV
  
 41.81%
PSE–PSOE
  
 22.96%
HB
  
 14.59%
AP–PDP–UL
  
 9.32%
EE
  
 7.94%
PCE/EPK
  
 1.39%
Others
  
 1.52%
Blank ballots
  
 0.47%
Seats
EAJ/PNV
  
 42.67%
PSE–PSOE
  
 25.33%
HB
  
 14.67%
AP–PDP–UL
  
 9.33%
EE
  
 8.00%

Distribution by constituency

Constituency PNV PSE HB CP EE
% S % S % S % S % S
Álava 35.5 9 25.1 7 10.8 3 16.2 4 7.7 2
Biscay 43.8 12 23.1 6 12.9 3 9.4 2 7.4 2
Guipúzcoa 40.8 11 22.1 6 18.7 5 6.8 1 8.9 2
Total 41.8 32 23.0 19 14.6 11 9.3 7 7.9 6

Aftermath

Investiture vote

First round: 11 April 1984
Absolute majority (38/75) required
Choice Vote
Parties Votes
Carlos Garaikoetxea PNV (32)
32 / 75
Blank ballots PSE (19), AP–PDP–UL (7), EE (6)
32 / 75
Absences: HB (11)
Source: historiaelectoral.com
Second round: 12 April 1984
Simple majority required
Choice Vote
Parties Votes
YesCarlos Garaikoetxea PNV (32)
32 / 75
Blank ballots PSE (19), AP–PDP–UL (7), EE (6)
32 / 75
Absences: HB (11)
Source: historiaelectoral.com

Notes

  1. ↑ This meant that Álava was allocated the same number of seats as Biscay and Gipuzkoa, despite their populations being, as of 1 January 1984: 264,410, 1,189,417 and 694,822, respectively.[1]
  2. ↑ As per Article 26 of the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country of 1979, the Basque Parliament had a maximum term of four years. Concurrently and under Article 46 of the Basque Parliament Elections Law of 1983, election day was to be held within from thirty-six to forty-five days from the publication of the election Decree. As a result, an election could not be held later than the forty-fifth day from the date of expiry of Parliament.

References

  1. ↑ "Principales series desde 1971. Resultados por Provincias. Población residente por fecha, sexo y edad". ine.es (in Spanish). National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  2. 1 2 Basque Parliament Elections Law of 1983, Law No. 28 of November 25, 1983 Official Gazette of the Basque Country (in Spanish). Retrieved on 8 August 2017.
  3. ↑ Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country of 1979, Organic Law No. 3 of December 18, 1979 Official State Gazette (in Spanish). Retrieved on 17 July 2017.
  4. ↑ Electoral Rules Decree of 1977, Royal Decree-Law No. 20 of March 18, 1977 Official State Gazette (in Spanish). Retrieved on 27 December 2016.
  5. ↑ Government Law of 1981, Law No. 7 of June 30, 1981 Official Gazette of the Basque Country (in Spanish). Retrieved on 17 July 2017.
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