It’s official and it’s all over bar the shouting; Juan Carlos Benavides is back in the driving seat of the Almuñécar branch of the PA.

After an agreement struck on a provincial level (or perhaps even a regional one) the CA will merge with the PA, meaning that the new CA/PA will have the majority in Almuñécar. The CA, after all, were the most voted for party in town. It also alters the political balance in Salobeña and Motril, where both parities are present

So, what is to stop Benny becoming the new Mayor? The two original PA councillors formed a coalition with the PP to provide a majority for the actual Mayor, Trinidad Herrera. If they are removed from the equation, Benny is on a winner.

You see, when Benny left the PA, taking virtually all his councillors with him to the CA, the ones that didn’t go with him remained in the ranks of the PA and fought to keep in up and running, even though the local branch had been effectively gutted. They succeded, because when the last municipal elections came along, the PA won two seats; two seats that would have otherwise gone to Benny’s CA.

There is no love lost between PA Councillor, Luis Aragón and Juan Carlos in fact, as the Spanish say, No se pueden ver ni siquiera en foto. (they can’t stand the sight of one other, not even if it is just looking at the other’s photo).

So what are Luis and Olga from the PA going to do? Their best option is probably to move over into the Grupo Mixto, declaring themselves independent. This means that they can still maintain the governing pact with the PP as they will not be under the orders of the new CA/PA.

But the problem will be when the next municipal elections come around – something that both the PP and PSOE are dreading.

The PP knows that it will never get anywhere near governing the Central Government after the Rajoy fracas. Despite the PP’s auto destruction, the PSOE haven’t been able to capitalize on it and are still picking up lower ratings than the Rajoy government.

In fact, all indications are that regional parties (nacionalistas) will rake in the votes in all the regions of Spain and the two major parties will suffer major defeats in the regional and general elections. The big winners, if things hold the same course until then, will be the far-left IU and the centrists UPyD under Rosa Diez.

Juan Carlos Benavides, knowing that it is now or never has made his move. The CA knows that Benny will bring in the votes; so does the PA; hence the merge.

Hang on for a bumpy ride!

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