Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Consell general / General Council |
Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
BACKGROUND |
Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
26 April 2009 |
Purpose of elections |
Elections were held for all seats in the General Council on the normal expiry of the members' term of office. |
On 9 February 2009
Prime Minister Albert Pintat Santolària called parliamentary elections for 26 April. At stake were 28 seats in the General Council: 14 seats on the national lists elected by proportional representation
and 14 on the territorial lists elected by the first-past-the-post system.
In the previous elections
held in April 2005
the ruling Liberal Party of Andorra (PLA) took 14 of the 28 seats at stake. The coalition Citizens' Alternatives (L'Altérnativa PS-RD) - comprising the Social Democrat Party (PS)
the Democratic Renovation party (RD)
the Group of Ordino Independents (GUPI) and independents - followed with 12 seats. The CDA-Segle 21 - a coalition of the Andorran Democratic Centre Party (CDA) and the 21st Century party (Segle 21) - took the remainder. In May
the General Council elected the PLA leader
Mr. Pintat Santolària
as the new head of government with the backing of the PLA and CDA-Segle 21.
Two coalitions and three parties were vying for seats in the 2009 elections.
The PLA formed the Reformist Coalition (CR) under the leadership of outgoing Speaker Joan Gabriel Estany. The CR comprised the PLA
the New Centre (made up of former members of the CDA-Segle 21)
the Lauredian Union (Unió Laurediana) and the Independents d'Ordino (IO).
The PS of Mr. Jaume Bartumeu Cassany campaigned under the name "PS
l'Alternative" with the GUPI and independents.
Two new parties took part in the 2009 elections: Andorra for Change (Andorra pel Canvi
APC)
led by Mr. Eusebi Nomen Calvet
which had the backing of the RD
and the National Union of Progress of Mr. Tomas Pascual Casabosh. The Andorran Green Party (Els Verds) of Ms. Isabel Lozano Muñoz ran on its own.
The 2009 elections were held against the backdrop of the global financial crisis. Many OECD countries had pushed the Principality to renounce bank secrecy. Although the country remained on the OECD's black list until the 2009 elections
in March 2009
along with Belgium and Liechtenstein
it agreed to revise the laws related to bank secrecy. Prime Minister Pintat pledged to pass a bill in the General Council on the sharing of fiscal information with other countries. However
parliament was dissolved before the outgoing legislature was able to vote on the bill.
Prime Minister Pintat called on voters to support the CR
in order to continue on the path of fiscal reform. PS leader Bartumeu promised to modify existing laws related to bank secrecy.
In all
75.30 per cent of the country's 20
000 eligible voters turned out at the polls.
The PS and its allies won a total of 14 seats
or one less than the number required for an absolute majority. The CR came in second with 11 seats. The AC took the three remaining seats. Nine women were elected.
On 19 May
the newly elected General Council held its first session and elected Mr. Josep Dallerès Codina (PS) as its new Speaker. On 3 June
it elected Mr. Bartumeu (PS) as Prime Minister. On 9 June
he formed a government which comprised members of the PS and several independents who did not have a seat on the General Council. |
STATISTICS |
Voter turnout |
Round no 1 | 26 April 2009 |
Number of registered electors Voters Blank or invalid ballot papers Valid votes |
20'298 75.3% 614 14'679 |
Notes
|
|
Distribution of votes |
Round no 1
|
Political Group |
Candidates |
Votes |
Parish votes |
|
% |
Parish votes (%) |
|
Social Democrat Party (PS) and its allies |
28 |
6'610 |
6'457 |
|
45.03 |
44.69 |
|
Reformist Coalition (CR) - Independents of Ordino (IO) |
28 |
4'747 |
5'021 |
|
32.34 |
34.70 |
|
Andorra for Change (APC) |
24 |
2'768 |
2'508 |
|
18.86 |
17.36 |
|
|
Distribution of seats |
Round no 1
|
Political Group |
Total
|
National seats |
Parish seats |
|
|
Social Democrat Party (PS) and its allies |
14
|
6 |
8 |
|
|
Reformist Coalition (CR) - Independents of Ordino (IO) |
11
|
5 |
6 |
|
|
Andorra for Change (APC) |
3
|
3 |
0 |
|
|
|
Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men Women Percent of women |
19 9 32.14%
|
Distribution of seats according to age |
31 to 40 years 41 to 50 years 51 to 60 years 61 to 70 years
|
5 10 12 1
|
Distribution of seats according to profession |
Finance
management or business |
12 |
Education profession |
4 |
Other |
3 |
Legal profession |
3 |
Physician
dentist |
2 |
Civil service and local authority administration |
2 |
Architect
surveyor
engineer |
2 |
|
Comments |
Note on distribution of seats according to sex:
Nine women were elected in April 2009. Two male members resigned to take up their ministerial post in the new government formed in June 2009. One of them was replaced by a woman
bringing the total number of women parliamentarians to 10 (35.71 per cent).
Sources:
- General Council (04.05.2009
17.07.2009)
- http://www.eleccions.ad/ |