C.L.A.R.O’S 8TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – DISPLAY OF UNITY

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C.L.A.R.O’s 8th Annual General Meeting took place on 29 November, 2013 in the Asturias Restaurant, Punta Prima.

Some 50 members were present or represented. A full discussion of the party’s policies and strategy took place with many interventions in English, Spanish and German.

The outcome was a strong display of unity; commitment to maintain an inclusive European party which reflects the multi-national character of Orihuela Costa and resolve to work together to increase support for the party to ensure that C.L.A.R.O. will represent Orihuela Costa in the new government which will result after the municipal elections in 2015.

A Report to the Annual General Meeting recalled the efforts by Pedro Mancebo’s Clr party to divide C.L.A.R.O., the resignation of C.L.A.R.O. Councillor Bob Houliston from the Socialist, Green Party and Clr government which had cheated and deceived him and prevented the C.L.A.R.O. team in the Playa Flamenca office of the Town Hall from working for the interests of Orihuela Costa.

Rather than continuing as a single, isolated voice in the Orihuela Council, C.L.A.R.O. chose to cooperate with the opposition Popular Party and in July, 2012 entered into a formal government agreement with them which includes a broad and positive agenda for Orihuela Costa.

Unfortunately, despite constituting a majority in the Council, a PP-CLARO government has not yet resulted. The curtailment of rights of Bob Houliston and another expelled former Clr Councillor by a Clr legal manipulation, has enabled the ultra minority Green-Socialist government, to hang on to power, even after expelling Pedro Mancebo from their ranks.

The Report also recalled the efforts by the PP-CLARO majority to promote improvements in Orihuela Costa such as the crash programme to clean the streets and remove garden waste approved by the plenary of the Council in October.

Another initiative approved in the plenary of the Council in November would ensure that 40% of the proceeds from the sale of land in Orihuela Costa would be reserved for the coast, enabling the realisation of important new projects such as a multi-use centre with theatre, library and rooms for activities by the many organisations active in Orihuela Costa plus a major social initiative to provide new facilities for senior citizens.

Instead of respecting the majority’s decisions, the government ignores them. Instead of a clean-up campaign, the Mayor alleges that residents are responsible for the unsightly and unhygienic state of the streets and levies fines on them.

Despite a pledge to reserve 40% of the sale of land on the coast for investments in Orihuela Costa, the minority government has already earmarked 75% of the total of €4.4 million for projects in Orihuela city and neighbouring villages.

Even if the PP-CLARO agreement does not result in a PP-CLARO government before 2015, working together in opposition does enable C.L.A.R.O. to defend and to promote the interests of Orihuela Costa.

The Report to the Annual General Meeting and a Financial Report were approved overwhelmingly without opposition.
A lively debate on Party Strategy enabled many views to be expressed.

At the end of the debate there was an impressive show of unity and determination to continue to work together inclusively for the interests of all the residents of Orihuela Costa without distinction.

The importance of Spanish support for C.L.A.R.O. was convincingly expressed and the potential to increase voter registration by the majority, non-Spanish population was equally stressed. The percentage of padron registered, non-Spanish EU residents registered to vote is only just over 15%. There is a huge potential to increase this percentage.

However, thanks to C.L.A.R.O., it is already three times higher than in Torrevieja. The neglect of the coast by the present Socialist-Green Party government will be a powerful incentive to further increase voter registration and participation by non-Spanish EU residents.

A motion in support of C.L.A.R.O’s Political Strategy was also approved overwhelmingly without opposition.

It commits the party to maximise the possibilities of the PP-CLARO agreement from now until the municipal elections in 2015.

It fully supports C.L.A.R.O. ‘s policy decision, already stated in the PP-CLARO agreement, to contest the 2015 municipal elections as an independent party with no alliance with any other party.

C.L.A.R.O’ objective is to sufficiently increase support in the 2015 municipal election to ensure that C.L.A.R.O. will represent Orihuela Costa in the new government which will be formed.

This will require efforts to evolve and renew the image of the party, a modern and more active communications policy and an “outreach” programme from now until May, 2015 to take the case for increased voter participation directly to residents.

Multi-lingual teams have been formed to carry out this programme.

Finally, the Annual General Meeting voted without opposition to re-elect the present Executive Committee comprising:

President Bob Houliston , Vice President Jimmy Badal, Secretary General Jose Luis Montero, Antonio Cerdan, Karl Failoni, Norah Bond, Ragnhild Breivoll

Filed under: http://www.theleader.info/article/41732/

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