PP’s Maripaz Fernández set to be mayor
By David Eade – Costa del Sol News
Antonio Marín will no longer be mayor of Ronda. The former Partido Andalucista mayor who abandoned the party with eight of his fellow councillors, all sitting as non-aligned whilst joining PSOE, has been ousted from power.
He led PSOE in to the elections and they won seven seats. So too did the Partido Popular led by Maripaz Fernández. Izquierda Unida is very pleased with itself having doubled its seat to two but the night belongs to the Partido Andalucista.
With Marín and his fellow eight PA councillors defection it left the party with no representation on the council. Indeed Marín and his cohorts were all officially deemed political turncoats. At the 2007 elections the PA won nine seats and this time five but that makes them king or queen makers.
Before the elections the PA pledged an oath with a notary not to form a coalition with PSOE. Indeed the party is now expected to back Maripaz Fernández who needs their support to become mayor. How the IU votes remains to be seen but it is unlikely they would back Marín for mayor which leaves the former mayor out in the cold and PSOE with him.
Some other local results: Algatocín – pact pending; Alpandeire PSOE, Arriate – pact pending; Atajate PSOE; Benadalid PSOE; Benalauría AEB; Benoaján – pact pending; Benarrabá PP; Cañete la Real PSOE; Cortes – pact pending; Cuevas del Becerro PSOE; Farajan PSOE; Gaucín – pact pending; Genalguacil PSOE; Igualeja PP; Jimera PP; Jubrique – pact pending; Juzcar PSOE; Montejaque ADIA; Parauta PSOE.
FIRST SCHOOL
Ronda has decided to build the public nursery school in the municipality at the Cruz de San Jorge. The administration was keen to find an easy accessible location and the school is possible thanks to a 600,000 euros Andalucía government grant. The school will have a capacity of 90 children aged from a few months to three years with a special needs unit.
FIREFIGHTERS PLEA
The CGT representing workers at the public company Egmasa in charge of preventing and fighting forest fires in the Serranía has called for better conditions for the 250 fire-fighters located at the Ronda centre. It wants basic salaries to be the same across all groups, recognition of length of service, seven hour a day, 35 hours a week shifts and a pension plan.
DIGGER THEFT
Guardia Civil arrested an El Gastor man accused of stealing a mechanical digger in Igualeja on May 5 then taking it to Ronda. The machine is valued at 60,000 euros and the thief had removed the number of the chassis. Earlier this year officers arrested four men accused of stealing machinery on the coast; the mayor of Alpandeire is one of those arrested.
GRIM DISCOVERY
Potholers recently discover a human skeleton on a hill summit in Puerto de Viento in the Serrania de Ronda. The climbers notified the Guardia Civil who alerted the National Police who are investigating the find three metres inside a cave. The remains of a possible projectile were found at the scene; the bones are said to have been there less than 10 years.
TAKE THAT
A 16 year old has been arrested in Ronda for hitting his mother causing lesions after she refused to allow him to go out on to the street. According to local police this is not the first time the 46-year-old woman has reported the boy for physical or psychological mistreatment. The attack happened on Tuesday in the Doctor Vazquez zone of the town.
ONLINE PRESCRIPTIONS
The 650 users of the health centres at La Cimada and Los Prados in the outlying zones of Ronda can now have electronic prescriptions with the medical staff able to check their records on-line. The 53,000 people in the Serranía health district - Ronda, Benaoján, Algatocín, Gaucín, Cortes, Montejaque, Arriate, El Burgo, Cuevas, Jubrique, Jimera, Igualeja, Serrato and Alpandeire – now have this service.
