The New Political Faces of Orihuela

The new Partido Popular mayor of Orihuela, Emilio Bascuñana, has this week announced the roles his government team will play during this next administrative person.

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Despite the Partido Popular ruling Orihuela for many years before being ousted by the coalition in the last elections four years ago, many of the names and faces in the new PP led government are new after internal problems and separations meant many of the established political characters started their own party before the elections, with the former PP head, Pepa Ferrando, being the only one who managed to secure enough votes to win a seat.

The result is a fresh government ruling in a minority, and the opposition led largely by the PSOE members of the previous government, and so the entire situation has led to an almost complete shake up of the political picture in Orihuela.

Emilio Bascuñana is the Mayor. He will control the departments of urbanism, regional planning and emergency coordination.

Rafael Almagro is the First Dupty Mayor and will manage the finance, heritage and human resource departments.

Paco Sáez is the Second Deputy Mayor and will manage procurement, infrastructure, services and maintenance.

Mariola Rocamora is the Third Deputy Mayor and will run the festivities, institutional relations and protocol and public safety departments.

Dámaso Aparicio is the Fourth Deputy Mayor and will manage the departments of sport, trade and markets.

Sabina Galindo manages social welfare, gender, immigration, disability and dependence, youths and citizenship.

Begoña Cuartero is the new councillor for education, culture and communication.

Miguel Ángel Fernández runs the environment, quality, modernization and industry departments.

Noelia Grao is responsible for health, street cleaning and solid waste departments.

Víctor Valverde looks after the pedanías, employment and agriculture.

Sofía Álvarez is the new councillor responsible for tourism, beaches, international residents and urban transport.

As the councillor for the coast and International residents, Sofía Álvarez is holding the most important post in terms of the ex-pat population, replacing Martina Scheurer in the coastal post. Like Scheurer, Álvarez is at least a resident of the Orihuela Costa, and so lives in the area of her concern. Therefore, she is considered best placed to deal with the problems of one of the largest and most populated areas of the municipality, with the most diverse mixture of residents and problems.

The councillors have all taken up their respective roles already and are now in the transitional period of assessing the work that needs to be done.

Meanwhile, the practice of forming the different elements of government is continuing. The Board of Governors will be formed by the councillors Paco Sáez, Rafael Almagro, Mariola Rocamora, Sabina Galindo, Begoña Cuartero, Dámaso Aparicio, Miguel Ángel Fernández, Sofía Álvarez, amd the Mayor himself, Emilio Bascuñana.

On Thursday, it was announced that the Procurement Committee is formed by Fernando Domínguez as President, along with Arturo López and Maria José Ros.

Paco Sáez will hold the roles as spokesperson for the Partido Popular.