Outgoing Mayor, Juan Carlos Benavides, has preempted his looming Saturday defeat at the swearing in ceremony.

This morning, the Mayor announced on the local radio station that he had resigned his candidacy for the office of Mayor – this was followed by press note from the Town Hall announcing that the second-on-the-list CA candidate, Eva Gaitan, would stand as candidate.

General speculation interprets this move as a manoeuvre to ‘take the decision making out of the opposition hands; a sort of, “I was defeated; I resigned.” Also, by stepping down as candidate for re-election for mayor, he distances himself his parties pending defeat at the Saturday plenary meeting to hold the investiture ceremony after voting results are known.

It was widely known around town that the Mayor was not going to even contemplate being a mayor in a minority arrangement or having to beg favours from opposition parties.

This decision opens the way to Trinidad Herrera (PP) being elected as the first Mayoress in the history of Almunecar.

This will not be the last, however, that will be heard from Benny, as whoever takes the mayoralty is guaranteed to have a turbulent time in office with seven CA councillors ready to make any plenary voting procedure in the next four years a touch-and-go event.