The Málaga Provincial Electoral Board has agreed to open an electoral file following the appeal lodged by the Partido Popular against the ruling of the Marbella Zone Electoral Board, which had previously ruled out any infringement in relation to the education protest in Manilva.
The decision, issued yesterday, orders the opening of the file and notifies Manilva Town Hall so that it can submit its arguments within 24 hours.
The PP takes the case to a higher body
The appeal has been lodged again by the Partido Popular under electoral law, with the aim of having the decision taken days earlier reviewed by the Zone Electoral Board.
In its submission, the PP insists that there were signs of a breach of article 50 of the LOREG (the General Electoral Law), arguing that the Town Hall allegedly used channels linked to the institution to publicise the call for the protest and to facilitate registration for a free bus.
The arguments of the appeal
The Partido Popular maintains, among other points, that:
- The message included expressions of a mobilising nature
- It explicitly stated that the Town Hall was providing free buses
- Public resources were allegedly used in the middle of the election period
The appeal also challenges the assessment made by the Zone Electoral Board, arguing that a direct request for votes is not necessary for a breach of institutional neutrality to occur.
Later posts are also questioned
The PP’s submission also includes, as an additional element, a later post on social media by the mayor of Manilva, in which, according to the appellants, a political assessment of the case was made following the initial ruling.
The Partido Popular considers that this type of message reinforces the existence of possible conduct contrary to the duty of neutrality required of public administrations during an election period.
The Manilva PP distances itself and speaks of electoral oversight
For its part, the Partido Popular in Manilva has wished to clarify that the complaint does not originate at local level, but is part of a procedure driven by the party’s legal services as part of the usual oversight during an election period.
In a statement on social media, the party is trying to «pass the buck» and maintains that «it is not an initiative of the Manilva PP or its local leadership», arguing that this type of action forms part of the ordinary supervision of the electoral process.
In this regard, sources close to local politics consider it striking that an action of this kind should be pushed forward without involving the municipal branch, especially in a municipality where, as they point out, the party itself has repeatedly defended its good internal coordination and institutional relations.
Deadline for arguments and possible ruling
With the opening of this file, the Provincial Electoral Board begins its review of the case, asking the Town Hall to submit its arguments within 24 hours.
This body will ultimately determine whether to confirm the initial ruling or, on the contrary, to find a possible infringement and adopt the corresponding measures.
