PP premiers take reins of regions but keep their counsel on corruption

"Zero tolerance in the face of corruption." "We do not accept corruption and we will fight against it." "Corruption defeats democracy." "Graft should not go scot-free." The electoral programs of the main political parties were littered with allusions to corruption. The documents written by regional administrations pointed to an endless stream of measures designed to combat this so-called "cancer of democracy." In some cases, they were concrete. In others, they were expressed in a broad philosophy of transparency and the need for greater controls.

However, the regional premiers who yesterday ascended the dais to take control of their elected offices apparently forgot to mention corruption in their investiture speeches. There were tacit allusions to transparency but no clear message, except in the case of the incoming premier of the Balearic Islands, José Ramón Bauzá, the beneficiary of the Popular Party (PP)'s decision to clear its list of candidates with legal proceedings pending - something it patently failed to do in other regions.

"The only person who opted for regeneration was me and I can assure you it was not easy," said Bauzá. "I will not take any lectures from anyone when it comes to the fight against corruption."

These words were never likely to issue from the mouth of Francisco Camps, who has his own problems with suits. Nevertheless, the Valencia regional PP's electoral manifesto was inches thick with measures to be implemented against corruption. Camps, the sole regional premier elected with a criminal case pending - that of his involvement with the Gürtel kickbacks network - was greeted on the steps of the regional parliament by dozens of protestors waving red cards against corruption, as has been seen across Spain since the May 15 protest movement erupted. His Socialist adversary, Jorge Alarte, did not pass up the opportunity to heckle Camps. "Governments decide elections and the courts impart justice," he noted with irony. Camps did not respond.

In Madrid, Esperanza Aguirre had spoken of transparency, but only in regard to the electoral reform she has promised to carry out. The regional premier was assailed by Socialist spokesman Tomás Gómez, who demanded "the return to the public coffers of the millions of euros of public money diverted to the [Gürtel] network."

United Left spokesman Gregorio Gordo lamented "the innumerable number of corruption cases we have had to put up with and the uninterrupted presence in [the PP] group of three deputies implicated in Gürtel."

Aguirre shot back: "In Communist countries corruption doesn't appear once in a while; it is the essence of the system."

The 15-M platform on Tuesday found itself the subject of a Congressional debate, at which rare unanimity was reached. The initiative was launched by the leftist Catalan ERC group and other parties eager to ally themselves with the protestors.

The final motion exhorted the government to resuscitate the Transparency Law project and in the process to "examine the measures that will be necessary to give greater depth to democracy and political participation, as well as exerting transparency and control over democratic institutions."