All Orihuela opposition parties, less Vox, have united to issue a motion of censure, signed on Wednesday morning before a notary, that could see the current mayor, Emilio Bascuñana, removed from office. Should the motion be successful he would be removed at the next Plenary meeting on 25 April with the leader of the PSOE, Carolina Gracia, becoming mayor.
If the change occurs, the municipal council of Orihuela would be formed by councillors from the PSOE and Ciudadanos, with initially, the councillors from Cambiemos, who are supporting support the motion, remaining in opposition.
As such, the Ciudadanos group, led by Deputy mayor José Aix, would change government partners just a year before the next elections, removing their support from Bascuñana and the Partido Popular to continue it’s journey, hand in hand, with the Socialists.
It is no secret that coalition partners Ciudadanos and the ruling Partido Popular have been at each other’s throats during recent months with Bascuñana constantly removing their powers.
If the motion goes ahead, the new government of the capital of Vega Baja would begin its journey as a minority government. The socialist group currently has six councillors and Ciudadanos has five. The support of Cambiemos, with three councillors, would be the key for the motion of censure to come to fruition, as they would outnumber the PP with nine councillors and Vox with two.
