Fernando González Urbaneja | The “alcaldada” of the Congress that must be approved this Monday to allow ERC and Junts to form their own parliamentary group, with the economic and parliamentary advantages it entails, will use on this occasion a cruder formula than the previous ones. On other occasions, the number of deputies of the pretender was completed in order to reach the number of deputies foreseen in the regulations (fifteen deputies). It was an abuse, fraud of the law, but with a certain aesthetic, since it is possible that some deputies could act as false defectors for the benefit of third parties.
What is intended on this occasion is to go further, the transfer of deputies also drags their voters along with it, a scheme of double use of the vote. The first and legitimate one is to obtain seats and then to enable another party to reach 15% of the votes in the constituency by adding those of another party. The grossness of this is greater, unprecedented, and does not pass muster under current law or common sense.
ERC exceeded 15% of the vote in Lérida (18%) and Tarragona (15.1%), but fell behind in Barcelona (12.3%) and Gerona (14.7%). Junts exceeded 15% in Lérida (18%) and Gerona (20%) but fell short in Tarragona (11%) and Barcelona (9.7%). To surpass 15% in all constituencies, the PSC and Sumar-Comunes are going to give them a couple of deputies each to add their votes to those of the two nationalist parties.
The sole reason for such an abuse can only be: “just because, because I’m in charge and I’m worth it”. But this is a double use of votes that is unjustifiable and that will be a first overreach by the president of the Congress.
In the Senate, the intention is to do something similar. It is unlikely that the PP-controlled Bureau of the Senate will tolerate this. If it does, parliamentary abuse will have become parliamentary custom. If the Senate does not consent to the abuse of the cession of elected representatives, the possibility of judicial recourse to the abuse of Congress is open, at the instigation of the PP or any other party with sufficient cause, even ex officio for fraud of law.
