Asamblea Regional de Murcia

V Legislature (1999-2003)

On June 13th 1999, elections to the Regional Assembly were held. The People’s Party (PP) achieved an absolute majority again with 26 seats; the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) obtained 18 seats; and the left-wing party Izquierda Unida (IU) obtained one seat. The Plenary of the Chamber, in the constituent session held on June 30^th 1999, again elected Mr. Francisco Celdrán Vidal as the Chairman of the Regional Assembly. Likewise, Mr. Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso was elected as the Chairman of the Autonomous Community.

One of the most relevant facts at an internal level but also enormously important at an institutional level is the approval by the Plenary of the new Chamber’s Regulations (Regional Assembly’s Official Gazette –BOAR- no. 127, dated June 13^th 2002, and Official Region of Murcia’s Official Gazette –BORM- no. 155, dated July 6^th 2002). This document has meant a more complete and systematic organisation and regulation of the instruments for the Government control.

During this legislature important acts were passed. Amongst these we can find: the one on the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Institute of the Region of Murcia, the Training and Employment Service, the Water and Soil Sanitation Service of the Region of Murcia, and the authorities controlling the regional and public service and the statutory personnel of the Murcia Health Service.

If we were to think about a recurrent issue on which the parliamentary debate has focused, it would be the one on water as a determining factor of our regional development. The concerns of the Chamber about the water shortage from which our Cuenca del Segura is suffering and the necessary defence of the Tajo-Segura water transfer are constant.

Nonetheless, the unanimity amongst the different political parties with parliamentary representation, which demanded the approval of the National Hydrological Plan by the National Government, was over at the beginning of the legislature. This occurred as a consequence of it being approved only by the People’s Parliamentary Group, with majority in the Chamber, and with no presence of the members of the opposition, Socialists and Mixed.

June 13th 1999 elections