Murcian regional election, 1999

Murcian regional election, 1999

13 June 1999
All 45 seats in the Regional Assembly of Murcia 23 seats needed for a majority
Registered	911,054 8.8%
Turnout	616,397 (67.7%) 8.3 pp
First party Second party Third party   Leader Ramón Luis Valcárcel Ramón Ortiz Antonio Joaquín Dólera Party PP PSOE IURM Leader since 5 October 1991 1995 1995 Last election 26 seats, 52.3% 15 seats, 31.7% 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 0.5 pp 4.2 pp 5.5 pp
Constituency results map for the Regional Assembly of Murcia
President before election Ramón Luis Valcárcel PP Elected President Ramón Luis Valcárcel PP

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 12 other autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain, as well as the 1999 European Parliament election.

Electoral system

The 45 members of the Regional Assembly of Murcia were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with a threshold of 5 per 100 of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied regionally. Parties not reaching the threshold were not taken into consideration for seat distribution. Seats were allocated to constituencies, which were established by law to comprise the following municipalities:

• I–Lorca: Lorca, Aguilas, Puerto Lumbreras, Totana, Alhama de Murcia, Librilla, Aledo and Mazarrón.
• II–Cartagena: Cartagena, La Unión, Fuente Alamo de Murcia, Torre-Pacheco, San Javier, San Pedro del Pinatar and Los Alcázares.
• III–Murcia: 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.
• IV–Northwest: Caravaca, Cehegín, Calasparra, Moratalla, Bullas, Pliego, Mula, Albudeite and Campos del Río.
• V–Plateau: 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.^[1][2] Voting was on the basis of universal suffrage, with all nationals over eighteen, registered in the Region of Murcia 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 1 per 100 of the 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 ten days from the election call.^[1][3][4]

Elections were fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years. A 1998 statutory amendment granted the President of the Region of Murcia the prerogative to dissolve the Regional Assembly 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—. Additionally, the chamber was to be automatically dissolved and a new election called if an investiture process failed to elect a regional President within a two-month period from the first ballot. 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.^[2][3]

Results

Overall

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

Parties and coalitions		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Won	+/−
	People's Party (PP)	323,446	52.84	+0.49	26	±0
	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)	219,798	35.91	+4.17	18	+3
	United Left of the Region of Murcia (IURM)	42,839	7.00	–5.48	1	–3

References