Today I joined a group of local urbanisation presidents in Orihuela Costa who were invited to a meeting by a new organisation called Agrupacion Electoral which is a citizens’ movement aimed at getting local councillors onto Orihuela Council at the elections in May.

The following is a news story I have sent to the press. You will see how important it is now to get yourselves onto the voters’ list at the Town Hall – because time is running out.

“The newly-formed AE Orihuela Costa is making a last ditch appeal to local residents (Spanish and ex-pats) to get themselves on the local Padron and ensure they are eligible to vote in next May’s local elections.Presidents and vice presidents of a number of local urbanisations met on Friday in La Florida to work out ways to get the message across that they must act within this week unless they will lose the right to vote and will have to wait years for the next chance.

The message is they must go to the Town Hall in Playa Flamenca, with their NIE, Passport and a copy and Padron and ensure they are on the voters’ list.

Agrupacion Electoral or AE is a citizens’ movement – not a political party – with the aim of presenting candidates to get one or more elected to Orihuela Council.

One of the leading lights in the newly-formed organisation is Ivan Perez, who told the meeting that the present problem is that not one councillor on the city-based Orihuela Council lives in Orihuela Costa, and that means that appeals for cash to improve street cleaning, refuse collection pothole or pavement repairs, or for more facilities like a theatre, library, central meeting hall, fire and ambulance and police station and well-maintained open areas and children’s playgrounds fall on deaf ears.

He said that only 17% of money raised in taxes on the Costa is spent on the coast. The rest finds its way to improve facilities in the city and surrounding villages.

“We want to start the process of redressing this, but the first step is to get every resident here to get on the Padron and ensure they are eligible to vote, and of course vote in May. But we only have this coming week to do it. The town hall effectively closes down after Friday, December 21^st and won’t re-open until after the Coming of the Kings in January and by then the voters’ list for the May elections will have closed.”

He aims to be outside the Town Hall doors at 10am on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday to help anyone who wants help to get themselves on the voters’ list.