When the only councillor from the PSI (Partido Socialista Independiente) announced that he was leaving the party to join the mainstream socialist party in Salobreña, his hitherto boss and mentor was incensed.

“He’s sold us out for a salary in the local government,” was the indignant verdict offered by Pérez Cobos.
As Party Secretary, Sr Pérez, complains that his part spent time and funds on preparing Javier Ortega as his successor. In the last municipal elections the PSI only managed one councillor seat, which went to the ‘great promise’ of the party.

But now, alleging that he doesn’t like Sr. Pérez’s attitude in general, he decided to leave the party, taking his councillor seat with him – such are the idiosyncrasies of the Spanish political system.

Meanwhile, back in the Town Hall, which is governed by the PSOE with a minority formation, it appears that the Mayor has offered the errant PSI councillor a seat on the governing council with a salary to boot, which makes a lot of sense from the Mayor’s point of view, as it gives him a stronger position with the extra councillor.

Yet Javier Ortega is not the only one to leave the PSI, because 18 of the 100 militants have also jumped ship – good riddance, considers Sr. Pérez.
It could not have escaped anybody’s noticed that Sr. Pérez Cobos’s indignation is somewhat hypocritical; after all, the whole reason that the PSI splinter group exists was that Sr. Perez Cobos deserted the PSOE, taking a good section of the party’s militants with him…

(News: Salobrena, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)