ARCHIVED - Murcian political crisis continues to provoke debate

Opposition parties seek a united front prior to the vote next Thursday

Now that it has been established that the motion of no confidence in the regional government of Murcia led by Pedro Antonio Sánchez of the PP will be debated and voted on in parliament on 5th and 6th April, the task facing the opposition parties, who in theory outnumber the 22 PP representatives, is to reach an agreement on what alternative they propose.

This job is not proving to be an easy one. Ciudadanos and PSOE, who are represented by 13 and 4 regional MPs respectively, are reported to be close to agreeing but still hold differing opinions regarding the holding of another regional election, which is the option favoured by Cuidadanos, who are led by Miguel Sánchez. Rafael González Tovar of the PSOE is at present prepared to accept this option only if the resulting government is formed for a full four-year term, rather than serving out the remaining two years of the current legislature. 

The proposal made by Miguel Sánchez is to form an interim government for six months with a view to calling an election this coming autumn, but, as national Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera has reminded everyone this week, there is still time for the PP to avoid the no confidence debate by announcing the departure of Pedro Antonio Sánchez from the post he has held since June 2015. For Ciudadanos at least this would appear to be a satisfactory outcome, as it would enable them to continue allowing the PP to govern, complying with the stipulation that any politician who is placed under judicial investigation should immediately leave his or her post. 

As for the role of Podemos, who occupy six seats in the regional parliament, it is unclear at present. It can be assumed that they will support the motion of no confidence, but it seems improbable that could be invited to participate actively in a coalition government which also features Ciudadanos. 

The next week promises to be an eventful one in the world of politics in the Region of Murcia, with any number of outcomes possible. By the start of Semana Santa it is possible that the case in which Pedro Antonio Sánchez has testified could be closed, and he could be exonerated from any suspicion of guilt in the case regarding the construction of the auditorium in Puerto Lumbreras while he was Mayor: in this case the motion of no confidence will presumably be dropped, and even if it were held it is unlikely that Ciudadanos would continue to support it. 

On the other hand, Sr Sánchez may decide to resign, or be asked to do so by his party, in order to avoid the no confidence vote. This would lead to a new president of the regional government being appointed, in which case attention would turn to who might fill the role.

If the debate goes ahead, the motion may fail to prosper, a possibility which is far from remote given the difficulties faced by PSOE, Podemos and Ciudadanos in agreeing how to proceed. This would leave Pedro Antonio Sánchez in office, although still under investigation. 

Or, of course, the motion could be passed, meaning that a caretaker government would be needed and that a regional election could be held before the end of the year.

Whatever the outcome, it is certain that none of the regional party leaders will be relaxing and beginning their Easter holidays early!

Image (EFE, fully copyrighted): Pedro Antonio Sánchez speaking at the UPCT in Cartagena on Thursday.