Andalusia begins new parliament without top body in place

The Andalusian parliament begins its new term on Thursday, following regional elections on March 22, with a complete lack of agreement on some basic organizational issues.

Intense bickering between the five parties with regional representation over who will sit on the parliamentary assembly, the top internal body, suggests that ruling the southern region over the next four years is going to be a complicated affair.

This issue is normally resolved without too much trouble, but this time it has become a political problem of the first magnitude for premier-elect Susana Díaz.

Díaz’s Socialist Party (PSOE), which won the elections, is locked in battle with the Popular Party (PP), United Left (IU) and newcomers Podemos and Ciudadanos over control of a seven-member body with the power to create investigative committees or decide on the premier’s appearances before the chamber.

Based on election results, and if no consensus is reached, the PSOE would automatically have three members sitting on the assembly, while the PP, Podemos, Ciudadanos and IU would have one each.

But the PP, which obtained 33 seats at the elections, feels this is unfair and wants two members on the board.

If the gridlock is not broken today, it will mark the second time the Andalusian parliament’s top body has been appointed without agreement.