1999 Murcian regional election

The 1999 Murcian regional election was held on Sunday, 13 June 1999, to elect the 5th Regional Assembly of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia. All 45 seats in the Regional Assembly were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in twelve other autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain, as well as the 1999 European Parliament election.

1999 Murcian regional election

13 June 1999
All 45 seats in the Regional Assembly of Murcia 23 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered	911,054 7.4%
Turnout	616,397 (67.7%) 7.6 pp
First party Second party Third party   Leader Ramón Luis Valcárcel Ramón Ortiz Antonio Joaquín Dólera Party PP PSOE IURM Leader since 5 October 1991 1995 1995 Leader's seat Three Three Three Last election 26 seats, 52.2% 15 seats, 31.9% 4 seats, 12.5% Seats won 26 18 1 Seat change 0 3 3 Popular vote 323,446 219,798 42,839 Percentage 52.8% 35.9% 7.0% Swing 0.6 pp 4.0 pp 5.5 pp
Constituency results map for the Regional Assembly of Murcia
President before election Ramón Luis Valcárcel PP Elected President Ramón Luis Valcárcel PP

Overview

Electoral system

The Regional Assembly of Murcia was the devolved, unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of Murcia, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Murcian Statute of Autonomy, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a President of the Region.[1] Voting for the Regional Assembly was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over eighteen, registered in the Region of Murcia and in full enjoyment of their political rights.

The 45 members of the Regional Assembly of Murcia were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with a threshold of 5 percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied regionally. Parties not reaching the threshold were not taken into consideration for seat distribution. Seats were allocated to constituencies, which were established by law as follows:

• I–Lorca (comprising the municipalities of Lorca, Aguilas, Puerto Lumbreras, Totana, Alhama de Murcia, Librilla, Aledo and Mazarrón).
• II–Cartagena (comprising the municipalities of Cartagena, La Unión, Fuente Alamo de Murcia, Torre-Pacheco, San Javier, San Pedro del Pinatar and Los Alcázares).
• III–Murcia (comprising the municipalities of Murcia, Alcantarilla, Beniel, Molina de Segura, Alguazas, Las Torres de Cotillas, Lorquí, Ceutí, Cieza, Abarán, Blanca, Archena, Ricote, Ulea, Villanueva del Río Segura, Ojós, Fortuna, Abanilla and Santomera).
• IV–Northwest (comprising the municipalities of Caravaca, Cehegín, Calasparra, Moratalla, Bullas, Pliego, Mula, Albudeite and Campos del Río).
• V–Plateau (comprising the municipalities of Yecla and Jumilla).

Each constituency was entitled to an initial minimum of one seat, with the remaining 40 allocated among the constituencies in proportion to their populations.[2]

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 the signature of at least 1 percent of the electors registered in the constituency for which they sought election. 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 of the election being called.[2][3][4]

Election date

The term of the Regional Assembly of Murcia expired four years after the date of its previous election. Elections to the Regional Assembly were fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years. Legal amendments introduced in 1998 allowed for these to be held together with European Parliament elections, provided that they were scheduled for within a four month-timespan. The previous election was held on 28 May 1995, setting the election date for the Regional Assembly concurrently with a European Parliament election on Sunday, 13 June 1999.[1][2][3][4]

After legal amendments in 1998, the President of the Region was granted the prerogative to dissolve the Regional Assembly of Murcia and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence was in process, no nationwide election was due and some time requirements were met: namely, that dissolution did not occur either during the first legislative session or within the legislature's last year ahead of its scheduled expiry, nor before one year had elapsed since a previous dissolution under this procedure. In the event of an investiture process failing to elect a regional President within a two-month period from the first ballot, the Regional Assembly was to be automatically dissolved and a fresh election called. Any snap election held as a result of these circumstances would not alter the period to the next ordinary election, with elected deputies merely serving out what remained of their four-year terms.[1]

Opinion polls

The table below lists voting intention estimates in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent first and using the dates when the survey fieldwork was done, as opposed to the date of publication. Where the fieldwork dates are 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. If a tie ensues, this is applied to the figures with the highest percentages. The "Lead" column on the right shows the percentage-point difference between the parties with the highest percentages in a given poll. When available, seat projections are also displayed below the voting estimates in a smaller font. 23 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Regional Assembly of Murcia.

Polling firm/Commissioner	Fieldwork date	Sample size	Turnout				Lead
1999 regional election	13 Jun 1999	N/A	67.7	52.8 26	35.9 18	7.0 1	16.9
Eco Consulting/ABC[p 1]	24 May–2 Jun 1999	?	?	54.2 26/27	30.6 14/15	11.4 3	23.6
Demoscopia/El País[p 2]	26 May–1 Jun 1999	?	71	55.1 27	33.9 16	9.3 2	21.2
Sigma Dos/El Mundo[p 3][p 4]	17–23 May 1999	600	?	54.2 26/27	32.1 15	10.7 3/4	22.1
CIS[p 5][p 6][p 7]	3–23 May 1999	1,297	74.8	55.9 27	31.0 15	10.4 3	24.9
1996 general election	3 Mar 1996	N/A	82.0	49.9	38.0	10.5	11.9
1995 regional election	28 May 1995	N/A	76.0	52.3 26	31.7 15	12.5 4	20.6

Results

Overall

← Summary of the 13 June 1999 Regional Assembly of Murcia election results →

Parties and coalitions		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Total	+/−
	People's Party (PP)	323,446	52.84	+0.61	26	±0
	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)	219,798	35.91	+4.04	18	+3
	United Left of the Region of Murcia (IURM)	42,839	7.00	–5.46	1	–3
	The Greens (LV)	5,683	0.93	New	0	±0
	Spanish Democratic Party (PADE)	5,527	0.90	New	0	±0
	Centrist Union–Democratic and Social Centre (UC–CDS)	1,845	0.30	–0.39	0	±0
	Minor Sea Independent Party–Neighbourhood Indep. Movement (PIMM–MIV)	1,579	0.26	New	0	±0
	Union of the Peoples of Murcia (UPM)	1,502	0.25	New	0	±0
	Citizens' Convergence of the South-East (CCSE)	844	0.14	New	0	±0
	National Workers' Party (PNT)	168	0.03	New	0	±0
Blank ballots		8,839	1.44	+0.33
Total		612,070			45	±0
Valid votes		612,070	99.30	+0.16
Invalid votes		4,327	0.70	–0.16
Votes cast / turnout		616,397	67.66	–7.61
Abstentions		294,657	32.34	+7.61
Registered voters		911,054
Sources[5][6][7]

Popular vote PP   52.84% PSOE   35.91% IURM   7.00% Others   2.80% Blank ballots   1.44%

Seats PP   57.78% PSOE   40.00% IURM   2.22%

Distribution by constituency

Constituency	PP		PSOE		IURM
	%	S	%	S	%	S
One	43.5	3	43.6	4	8.3	−
Two	54.6	6	33.6	4	6.0	−
Three	56.3	13	33.2	7	6.4	1
Four	46.9	2	44.2	2	7.0	−
Five	49.9	2	33.8	1	13.3	−
Total	52.8	26	35.9	18	7.0	1
Sources[5][6][7]

Aftermath

Investiture Ramón Luis Valcárcel (PP)
Ballot →		8 July 1999
Required majority →		23 out of 45 Y
	Yes • PP (26)	26 / 45
	No • PSOE (18) • IURM (1)	19 / 45
	Abstentions	0 / 45
	Absentees	0 / 45
Sources[7]

References

Opinion poll sources

1. "El Partido Popular mantiene su hegemonía". ABC (in Spanish). 7 June 1999.
2. "El PP renueva su mayoría absoluta en Murcia". El País (in Spanish). 7 June 1999.
3. "Murcia: el nuevo feudo del PP". El Mundo (in Spanish). 26 May 1999.
4. "ELECCIONES 13-J /BALANCE DE LAS ENCUESTAS". El Mundo (in Spanish). 6 June 1999.
5. "Preelectoral elecciones autonómicas y municipales, 1999. Región de Murcia (Estudio nº 2336. Mayo 1999)". CIS (in Spanish). 4 June 1999.
6. "Estudio CIS nº 2336. Ficha técnica" (PDF). CIS (in Spanish). 4 June 1999.
7. "Bono e Ibarra repiten y el PSOE recuperará Asturias". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 5 June 1999.

Other

1. "Statute of Autonomy for the Region of Murcia of 1982". Organic Law No. 4 of 9 June 1982. Official State Gazette (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 February 2017.
2. "Region of Murcia Electoral Law of 1987". Law No. 2 of 24 February 1987. Official Gazette of the Region of Murcia (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 February 2017.
3. "General Electoral System Organic Law of 1985". Organic Law No. 5 of 19 June 1985. Official State Gazette (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 December 2016.
4. "Representation of the people Institutional Act". www.juntaelectoralcentral.es. Central Electoral Commission. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
5. "Regional Assembly of Murcia election results, 13 June 1999" (PDF). www.juntaelectoralcentral.es (in Spanish). Electoral Commission of Murcia. 26 July 1999. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
6. Sierra Rodríguez, Javier (2015). El Sistema Electoral de la Región de Murcia: Balance y Perspectivas (PDF) (in Spanish). Murcia: Universidad de Murcia. Facultad de Derecho. p. 323. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
7. "Regional Assembly of Murcia elections since 1983". historiaelectoral.com (in Spanish). Electoral History. Retrieved 30 September 2017.