Navarrese regional election, 1995

Navarrese regional election, 1995

28 May 1995
All 50 seats in the Parliament of Navarre 26 seats needed for a majority
Registered	437,797 5.5%
Turnout	299,545 (68.4%) 1.7 pp
First party Second party Third party   Leader Miguel Sanz Javier Otano Juan Cruz Alli Party UPN PSN–PSOE CDN Leader since 17 January 1995 20 June 1994 10 April 1995 Leader's seat Navarre Navarre Navarre Last election 20 seats, 35.0% 19 seats, 33.4% Did not contest Seats won 17 11 10 Seat change 3 8 10 Popular vote 93,163 62,021 55,153 Percentage 31.3% 20.9% 18.6% Swing 3.6 pp 12.5 pp New party   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Félix Taberna Patxi Zabaleta Fermín Ciaurriz Party IU/EB HB EA Leader since 1991 1991 1991 Leader's seat Navarre Navarre Navarre Last election 2 seats, 4.1% 6 seats, 11.2% 3 seats, 5.5% Seats won 5 5 2 Seat change 3 1 1 Popular vote 27,773 27,404 13,568 Percentage 9.3% 9.2% 4.6% Swing 5.2 pp 2.0 pp 0.9 pp
President before election Juan Cruz Alli UPN Elected President Javier Otano PSN–PSOE

The 1995 Navarrese regional election was held on Sunday, 28 May 1995, to elect the 4th 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.

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 for the fourth Sunday of May every four years. 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]

Results

← Summary of the 28 May 1995 Parliament of Navarre election results →

Parties and coalitions		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Won	+/−
	Navarrese People's Union (UPN)	93,163	31.35	–3.60	17	–3
	Socialist Party of Navarre (PSN–PSOE)	62,021	20.87	–12.49	11	–8
	Democrats' Convergence of Navarre (CDN)	55,153	18.56	New	10	+10
	United Left (IU/EB)	27,773	9.35	+5.28	5	+3
	Popular Unity (HB)	27,404	9.22	–1.98	5	–1
	Basque Solidarity (EA)	13,568	4.57	–0.95	2	–1
	Assembly (Batzarre)	6,509	2.19	–0.19	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]

On 19 June 1996, Javier Otano resigned as President of Navarre after judicial investigations uncovered a Swiss bank account in his name and that of his wife, triggering a new investiture process in which Miguel Sanz from UPN was automatically elected on 18 September 1996, being the candidate from the party with the highest number of seats and with the investiture process having failed to elect a regional premier.

References