- Founders of P.I.O.C are in the process of registering a new party for the residents of Orihuela Costa.
Residents of Orihuela Costa will very soon have an additional choice of who to vote for in the May 2023 elections to represent them, from a choice of Candidates that live on the coast, to campaign for the rights of equality, a fair share of the budget, improved services, infrastructure and better integration for the multicultural nationalities who make up the community of Orihuela Costa.
As we are in the process of legalizing P.I.O.C. the voice of the coast, it is necessary to take our next step. We think the whole of Orihuela Costa should contest the elections in May 2023 as a united community, Councilors from Orihuela Costa, to represent Orihuela Costa.
Therefore, we offer the opportunity to all Associations of Orihuela Costa and C.L.A.R.O to participate, form a unique candidate list for Orihuela Costa to contest the next elections. We believe that if we ALL work together, we could gain 3 to 5 Councilors representing the coast at local government level.
We should focus on the many things we do have in common, it does not mean give up their ideals, their principles, it means WORK TOGETHER to achieve common goals, such as control of building by construction companies, maintaining and cleaning of streets, dropped kerbs, obstructed pavements, play parks, provide adequate public transport, a Public Library, a Cultural Centre, Youth Club, a Mother and Toddlers centre plus employment opportunities for everyone at Industrial units plus all the public services that are lacking in Orihuela Costa.
For several years, P.I.O.C served as an online platform for the people of the coast, voicing their concerns and opinions on the awful state of the coast, neglected by the local Council in Orihuela city. We are not interested in power for power, but in power to transform and improve Orihuela Costa as a whole.
The P.I.O.C. platform have many followers, their complaints and concerns always led to the same conclusion, they want independence for Orihuela Costa, therefore, it was decided to form a legal registered political party.
O.C was formed by several former Members of the only party of the coast for 16 years, who struggled to make any headway with the ruling governing body in Orihuela, located 35km distant. The distance always caused problems, more so, since there has not been a Councillor for the Coast since 2015, no one to act on behalf of the local community, to actually deal with the concerns or complaints of residents of Orihuela Costa.
Currently there are 10 Advisors on good salaries, employed to work for the residents of the coast, but what do they actually do, is the question on most peoples minds? There were two Councilors for the Coast for a short term between 2011 and 2015 but they were blocked from supporting the coast at every turn, when it came to making decisions.
Orihuela city Town Hall offices located so far away, is where all decisions are made to decide the fate of the citizens of Orihuela Costa, not the local satellite branch Town Hall in Playa Flamenca, which is merely an Administration office, where NO decisions can be made on behalf of the residents of Orihuela Costa.
We need to make our own decisions, spend money generated by the coastal residents for the coast, not rely on the governing body in Orihuela city who fail to ensure the 55% of the budget generated by the coast is spent on the coast. Their failure to provide adequate services and infrastructure resulted in the formation of P.I.O.C.
Peter Houghton, Roman Jiminez and Norah Bond together with Priscilla Cromie, all have worked tirelessly the past 3 years, meeting with local businesses and residents who support the initiative of Independence, which we know will take time, but, if we do nothing, nothing will improve, nothing will change!
With the support of the community of Orihuela Costa, together, one step at a time, we can gain Councilors who live on the coast to improve the infrastructure and services for a better quality of life for everyone living on the coast.
To do this, we know there are many people not registered on the Padron, who may not realise how important it is. As of February 2022, there are approximately 33,228 people registered on the Padron of the 85/90,000 actual number of people living in Orihuela Costa.
Therefore if everyone registered on the Padron, the Town Hall would receive in the region of €300 per person every year. Sadly that is not considered important enough to register to vote, a loss of approximately €15 million of revenue which could be spent on the needs of the coast. Food for thought:- Bad politicians are elected by residents not voting!!
P.I.O.C. intends to encourage the 55,000 or more people not registered to do so, to give them the opportunity to have their say and vote in the next elections May 2023. The deadline to register to exercise your right to vote is between December 1st 2022 and 16th January 2023.
Peter and Roman have held several meetings with Mayors and Councilors of towns and villages surrounding Orihuela Costa who gained independence from Orihuela, seeking advice and information about how they have managed since they became independent, all gave positive results, saying it is worth fighting for!
Orihuela Costa too can become Independant, if we join together as one united integrated community. P.I.O.C. know it can be achieved, yes it may take time, but we are prepared to make it possible if you are prepared to work with P.I.O.C.
