Navarrese regional election, 1987

Navarrese regional election, 1987

10 June 1987
All 50 seats in the Parliament of Navarre 26 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered	393,326 3.6%
Turnout	286,722 (72.9%) 2.0 pp
First party Second party Third party   Leader Gabriel Urralburu Juan Cruz Alli Iñaki Aldekoa Party PSN–PSOE UPN HB Leader since 15 June 1982 1987 1983 Leader's seat Navarre Navarre Navarre Last election 20 seats, 35.6% 13 seats, 23.3% 6 seats, 10.6% Seats won 15 14 7 Seat change 5 1 1 Popular vote 78,453 69,419 38,138 Percentage 27.7% 24.5% 13.5% Swing 7.9 pp 1.2 pp 2.9 pp   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Pablo García Tellechea Ignacio Cabasés Jaime Ignacio del Burgo Party CDS EA UDF Leader since 1987 1986 1986 Leader's seat Navarre Navarre Navarre Last election Did not contest Did not contest Did not contest Seats won 4 4 3 Seat change 4 4 3 Popular vote 21,022 19,840 17,663 Percentage 7.4% 7.0% 6.2% Swing New party New party New party
President before election Gabriel Urralburu PSN–PSOE Elected President Gabriel Urralburu PSN–PSOE

The 1987 Navarrese regional election was held on Wednesday, 10 June 1987, to elect the 2nd Parliament of the Foral Community of Navarre. All 50 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, as well as the 1987 European Parliament election.

The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), under then-incumbent President Gabriel Urralburu, won the election for a second consecutive term, albeit with a diminished share of the vote (27.7%, losing nearly 8 percentage points from 1983) and losing 5 seats. The centre-right spectrum stood divided to the election: the Navarrese People's Union (UPN) maintained its second place with 24.5% and 14 seats (gaining one); the Foral Democrat Union (UDF), an alliance between the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the Liberal Party (PL), formed after the breakup of the People's Coalition, obtained 6.2% and 3 seats. The People's Alliance (AP) suffered from this division and fell to 7th place (4.2% and 2 seats).

The Democratic and Social Centre (CDS), the party of former Spanish Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez, benefitted from this division and finished fourth, gaining 4 seats. Meanwhile, the left-wing Herri Batasuna (HB) also improved its position from 1983 and scored one of the best results for the abertzale left in Navarre. Eusko Alkartasuna (EA), a split from the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) formed in 1986 from PNV dissidents, entered the Parliament with 4 seats, while the small Eusko Alkartasuna also entered for the first time.

Electoral system

The 50 members of the Parliament of Navarre were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with a threshold of 3 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.^[1][2] Voting was on the basis of universal suffrage, with all nationals over eighteen, registered in Navarre 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 Navarre. 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 to be held within 54 to 60 days from the legislature's expiry date, which would take place four years after the previous election. In the event of an investiture process failing to elect a regional President within a two-month period from the first ballot, the candidate from the party with the highest number of seats was deemed to be automatically elected.^[2][3]

Opinion polls

Individual poll results are listed in the table below in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent first, and using the date the survey's fieldwork was done, as opposed to the date of publication. If that date is 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. In the instance of a tie, the figures with the highest percentages are shaded. in the case of seat projections, they are displayed in bold and in a different font. The lead column on the right shows the percentage-point difference between the two parties with the highest figures. 26 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Parliament of Navarre.

Polling firm/Commissioner	Fieldwork date	Sample size	Turnout							UDF			Lead
1987 regional election	10 Jun 1987	N/A	72.9	27.7 15	24.5 14	4.2 2	13.5 7	0.9 0	3.4 1	6.2 3	7.4 4	7.0 4	3.2
Demoscopia/El País[p 1]	22–26 May 1987	?	?	30.4 17/18	32.3 18/19	5.0 2	12.9 6/7	–	3.7 0/2	–	8.4 4/5	2.9 0/2	1.9
Sofemasa/AP[p 2][p 3]	17 Apr 1987	?	?	29.6	5.5	20.3	16.6	–	–	–	14.8	–	9.3
1986 general election	22 Jun 1986	N/A	69.8	35.5 20	*[lower-roman 1]	29.6 17	13.9 8	1.8 0	2.8 0	*[lower-roman 1]	9.6 5	–	5.9
1983 regional election	8 May 1983	N/A	70.9	35.6 20	23.3 13	14.1 8	10.6 6	6.8 3	2.4 0	*[lower-roman 1]	–	–	12.3
1 2 3 Running with AP.

Results

← Summary of the 10 June 1987 Parliament of Navarre election results →

Parties and coalitions		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Won	+/−
	Socialist Party of Navarre (PSN–PSOE)	78,453	27.68	–7.95	15	–5
	Navarrese People's Union (UPN)	69,419	24.50	+1.16	14	+1
	Popular Unity (HB)	38,138	13.46	+2.91	7	+1
	Democratic and Social Centre (CDS)	21,022	7.42	New	4	+4
	Basque Solidarity (EA)	19,840	7.00	New	4	+4
	Foral Democratic Union (PDF–PDP, PL) (UDF)	17,663	6.23	New	3	+3
	People's Alliance (AP)1	11,985	4.23	–9.89	2	–6
	Basque Country Left (EE)	9,618	3.39	+1.02	1	+1
	Left Assembly of Navarre (Batzarre)	5,880	2.07	New	0	±0
	United Left (IU)2	3,802	1.34	+0.70	0	±0

Aftermath

Investiture

Investiture processes to elect the President of Navarre required for an absolute majority—more than half the votes cast—to be obtained in the first ballot. If unsuccessful, a new ballot would be held 48 hours later under the same majority requirement, with successive votes requiring only of a simple majority—more affirmative than negative votes—to succeed. If such majorities were not achieved, successive candidate proposals would be processed under the same procedure. In the event of the investiture process failing to elect a regional President within a two-month period from the first ballot, the candidate from the party with the highest number of seats was deemed to be automatically elected.^[2]

As a result of the investiture process failing to provide a regional President within two months from the first ballot, Gabriel Urralburu was automatically elected on 30 September 1987 and officially sworn into office on 8 October.

Opinion poll sources

References