1983 Navarrese regional election

The 1983 Navarrese regional election was held on Sunday, 8 May 1983, to elect the 1st Parliament of the Chartered Community of Navarre. All 50 seats in the Parliament were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in twelve other autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.

1983 Navarrese regional election

← 1979 8 May 1983 1987 →
All 50 seats in the Parliament of Navarre 26 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered	379,692 4.0%
Turnout	269,042 (70.9%) 0.1 pp
First party Second party Third party   Leader Gabriel Urralburu Balbino Bados José Luis Monge Party PSOE UPN AP–PDP–UL Leader since 15 June 1982 1983 1983 Last election 15 seats, 18.9% 13 seats, 16.0% Did not contest Seats won 20 13 8 Seat change 5 0 8 Popular vote 94,737 62,072 37,554 Percentage 35.6% 23.3% 14.1% Swing 16.7 pp 7.3 pp New party   Fourth party Fifth party   Leader Iñaki Aldekoa Iñaki Cabasés Party HB EAJ/PNV Leader since 1983 1983 Last election 9 seats, 11.1% 3 seats, 5.0% Seats won 6 3 Seat change 3 0 Popular vote 28,055 18,161 Percentage 10.6% 6.8% Swing 0.5 pp 1.8 pp
President before election Juan Manuel Arza Independent (ex-UCD)[a] Elected President Gabriel Urralburu PSOE

The election resulted in a deadlocked situation: the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) became the largest political force with 20 seats but fell short of an absolute majority,^[2] whereas the conservative Navarrese People's Union (UPN) and the People's Coalition—an electoral conglomerate of the People's Alliance (AP), the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the Liberal Union (UL)—soon announced a political agreement to join their 13 and 8 seats to form the government at the regional level and in the local city councils.^[3][4][5] The Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) was left holding the balance of power with its 3 seats, as Herri Batasuna (HB) followed a policy of abstentionism.^[6][7] The former ruling party of Spain, the Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD), had chosen to dissolve itself in February 1983 and did not contest the election as a result.^[8]

A constitutional conflict erupted in August 1983 as a result of the PSOE and UPN clashing over the law's interpretation as to whom should be proposed as candidate, aggravated after the Parliament's speaker attempted to propose UPN's José Ángel Zubiaur instead of PSOE candidate Gabriel Urralburu for the post.^[9][10][11] The Spanish Constitutional Court intervened to end the political deadlock ruling in PSOE's favour,^[12] and after talks for a prospective government supported by UPN, CP and PNV failed,^[13] Gabriel Urralburu was automatically elected as new Navarrese premier in April 1984 and his government sworn in on 4 May, putting an end to one of the most severe political crises in Navarre history.^[14][15]

Overview

Electoral system

The Parliament of Navarre was the devolved, unicameral legislature of the Chartered Community of Navarre, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Reintegration and Enhancement of the Foral Regime of Navarre Law, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a regional president.^[16] Voting was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age, registered in Navarre and in full enjoyment of their political rights.

The 50 members of the Parliament of Navarre were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with a threshold of five percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied regionally.

The electoral law provided that parties, federations, coalitions and groupings of electors were allowed to present lists of candidates. However, groupings of electors were required to secure the signature of at least 0.1 percent of the electors registered in the constituency for which they sought election—needing to secure, in any case, the signature of 500 electors—. Electors were barred from signing for more than one list of candidates. Concurrently, parties and federations intending to enter in coalition to take part jointly at an election were required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within fifteen days of the election being called.^[17]

Election date

The Foral Deputation of Navarre, in agreement with the Government of Spain, was required to call an election to the Parliament of Navarre within from 1 February to 31 May 1983. In the event of an investiture process failing to elect a regional president within a two-month period from the first ballot, the candidate from the party with the highest number of seats was to be deemed automatically elected.^[16][17]

Opinion polls

The tables below list opinion polling results in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent first and using the dates when the survey fieldwork was done, as opposed to the date of publication. Where the fieldwork dates are unknown, the date of publication is given instead. The highest percentage figure in each polling survey is displayed with its background shaded in the leading party's colour. If a tie ensues, this is applied to the figures with the highest percentages. The "Lead" column on the right shows the percentage-point difference between the parties with the highest percentages in a poll.

Voting preferences

The table below lists raw, unweighted voting preferences.

Polling firm/Commissioner	Fieldwork date	Sample size					PNV			?	N	Lead
1983 regional election	8 May 1983	—	–	25.0	16.3	9.9	4.8	1.7	7.4	—	29.1	8.7
CISE–Metra Seis–ECO/CIS[p 1]	5–11 Apr 1983	400	–	26.2	8.5	8.0	4.5	1.5	3.2	34.0	10.8	17.7
1982 general election	28 Oct 1982	—	8.3	29.8	[b]	9.2	4.4	2.2	20.3[c]	—	18.7	9.5
1979 foral election	3 Apr 1979	—	18.6	13.2	11.2	7.7	–	–	–	—	29.2	5.4

Results

← Summary of the 8 May 1983 Parliament of Navarre election results →

Parties and alliances		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Total	+/−
	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)	94,737	35.63	+16.69	20	+5
	Navarrese People's Union (UPN)	62,072	23.34	+7.35	13	±0
	People's Coalition (AP–PDP–UL)	37,554	14.12	New	8	+8
	Popular Unity (HB)	28,055	10.55	–0.53	6	–3
	Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV)1	18,161	6.83	+1.79	3	±0
	Neighborhood Labor (Auzolan)2	8,356	3.14	+0.44	0	±0
	Carlist Party (PC)	6,733	2.53	–2.24	0	–1
	Basque Country Left (EE)	6,292	2.37	New	0	±0
	Communist Party of the Basque Country (PCE/EPK)	1,712	0.64	–1.80	0	±0
	Communist League (LC)	409	0.15	New	0	±0
	Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)	n/a	n/a	–26.69	0	–20
	Electoral Groups of Merindad (Amaiur)	n/a	n/a	–6.78	0	–7
	Navarrese Left Union (UNAI)	n/a	n/a	–2.91	0	–1
	Navarrese Foral Independents (IFN)	n/a	n/a	–1.46	0	–1
Blank ballots		1,826	0.69	+0.28
Total		265,907			50	–20
Valid votes		265,907	98.83	+0.15
Invalid votes		3,135	1.17	–0.15
Votes cast / turnout		269,042	70.86	+0.10
Abstentions		110,650	29.14	–0.10
Registered voters		379,692
Sources[18][19]
Footnotes: 1 Basque Nationalist Party results are compared to Basque Nationalists totals in the 1979 election. 2 Neighborhood Labor results are compared to the combined totals of Left Navarrese Assembly and Left City Councils Navarrese Association in the 1979 election.

Popular vote PSOE   35.63% UPN   23.34% AP–PDP–UL   14.12% HB   10.55% EAJ/PNV   6.83% Auzolan   3.14% PC   2.53% EE   2.37% Others   0.80% Blank ballots   0.69%

Seats PSOE   40.00% UPN   26.00% AP–PDP–UL   16.00% HB   12.00% EAJ/PNV   6.00%

Aftermath

Investiture processes to elect the President of the Government of Navarre required for an absolute majority—more than half the votes cast—to be obtained in the first ballot. If unsuccessful, a new ballot would be held 48 hours later under the same majority requirement, with successive votes requiring only of a simple majority—more affirmative than negative votes—to succeed. If the proposed candidate was not elected, successive proposals were to be transacted under the same procedure. In the event of the investiture process failing to elect a regional president within a two-month period from the first ballot, the candidate from the party with the highest number of seats was deemed to be automatically elected.^[16]

After the regional election, UPN and the People's Coalition formed an alliance to take the post of speaker of the regional Parliament away from the PSOE, electing UPN's Balbino Bados for the post.^[20] This allowed both parties to take control of the investiture process and nominate José Ángel Zubiaur as candidate for investiture.^[7][21]

Investiture José Ángel Zubiaur (UPN)
Ballot →		21 June 1983	23 June 1983	25 June 1983	27 June 1983
Required majority →		26 out of 50 N	26 out of 50 N	Simple N	Simple N
	Yes • UPN (13) • AP–PDP–UL (8)	21 / 50	21 / 50	21 / 50	21 / 50
	No • PSOE (20) • PNV (3)	23 / 50	23 / 50	23 / 50	23 / 50
	Abstentions	0 / 50	0 / 50	0 / 50	0 / 50
	Absentees • HB (6)	6 / 50	6 / 50	6 / 50	6 / 50
Sources[19][22][23]

The attempts to form a Zubiaur-led right-wing government were voted down by both PSOE and PNV, which unsuccessfully held exploratory talks to test an agreement to unlock the situation.^[24] After the failure of negotiations, PSOE candidate Gabriel Urralburu had hoped to automatically become new regional president on 21 August 1983 under statutory provisions as the candidate from the party with the highest number of seats,^[25] but a clash between PSOE and UPN—whose leader Balbino Ados held the presidency of the regional parliament, the office tasked with nominating a prospective president—over the law's interpretation as to whom should be proposed as candidate resulted in a constitutional conflict. The PSOE's stance was that the legal provision from Section 29.3 of the Enhancement Law required the automatic election of the candidate from the largest party in parliament—meaning that Gabriel Urralburu was to become the new Navarrese president—whereas UPN argued that the pre-requisite condition of "candidate" was only obtained by having contested an investiture process, a criterion which up until that point only José Ángel Zubiaur had met.^[9][10][11]

On 25 August, and against the advice from the Parliament's legal services,^[26] Bados attempted to have Zubiaur nominated as new president pending the King's confirmation,^[27] a decision which was heavily criticized by all parties but UPN and AP,^[28][29] and which was summarily aborted by the Government of Spain and the regional PSOE bringing the issue to the Constitutional Court.^[30][31][32] This situation forced incumbent president Juan Manuel Arza to remain in the post in a caretaker capacity until the Court ruled on the issue,^[33] in a situation of political and administrative deadlock as the region relied on a prorogued 1982 budget,^[34][35] resigning government members could not be replaced,^[36] and legislative and cooperation projects stagnated.^[37] This was further aggravated in January 1984 after the Constitutional Court declared as null and void the dismissal in 1980 of previous president Jaime Ignacio del Burgo, reinstating him to the post until the election of the new regional premier.^{[38][39][40][41]}

In February 1984, the Constitutional Court ruled that the investiture process was to be returned to the moment after Zubiaur's fourth failed voting and that a new candidate had to be proposed for a new round of votings, with the mandate to the regional Parliament to designate "the candidate of the political party that has the largest number of seats and that had been proposed as such to the president of Parliament by that party" in the event of no successful investiture.^[12][42][43] Urralburu was proposed as new candidate for investiture as both PSOE and UPN sought to obtain PNV's support.^[44][45][46]

Investiture Gabriel Urralburu (PSOE)
Ballot →		2 March 1984	4 March 1984	6 March 1984	8 March 1984
Required majority →		26 out of 50 N	26 out of 50 N	Simple N	Simple N
	Yes • PSOE (20)	20 / 50	20 / 50	20 / 50	20 / 50
	No • UPN (13) • AP–PDP–UL (8) • PNV (3)	24 / 50	24 / 50	24 / 50	24 / 50
	Abstentions	0 / 50	0 / 50	0 / 50	0 / 50
	Absentees • HB (6)	6 / 50	6 / 50	6 / 50	6 / 50
Sources[19][47][48][49]

Urralburu failed in his attempts to obtain the confidence of parliament, as UPN, CP and PNV started talks to form a coalition government and avoid Urralburu's automatic election in April.^[50][51][52] On 13 March 1984, Balbino Ados proposed UPN's Juan Cruz Alli for investiture, with a parliamentary session initially scheduled for 22 March,^[53] but this attempt was averted as a result of the breakup of negotiations with the PNV,^[13][54] which was internally divided over the support or facilitation-through-abstention of a right-wing government in Navarre as favoured by the party's leadership but not by their local Navarrese branch.^[55][56][57] José Luis Monge was proposed by AP as a last-ditch attempt to hold an investiture session and prevent Urralburu's election.^{[58][59][60][61]}

Investiture José Luis Monge (AP)
Ballot →		8 April 1984	10 April 1984	12 April 1984	14 April 1984
Required majority →		26 out of 50 N	26 out of 50 N	Simple N	Simple N
	Yes • UPN (13) • AP–PDP–UL (8)	21 / 50	21 / 50	21 / 50	21 / 50
	No • PSOE (20) (19 until 10 Apr) • PNV (3)	22 / 50	22 / 50	23 / 50	23 / 50
	Abstentions	0 / 50	0 / 50	0 / 50	0 / 50
	Absentees • HB (6) • PSOE (1) (until 10 Apr)	7 / 50	7 / 50	6 / 50	6 / 50
Sources[19][62][63]

With Monge's defeat, Urralburu was set to be proclaimed new Navarrese president on 17 April, allowing the formation of a new government and ending the political deadlock that had resulted from the 1983 regional election.^[64][65][66]

Notes

1. The UCD was dissolved as a political party in February 1983,^[1] with its regional presidents and elected officials maintaining their offices either as independents or joining other parties ahead of the May 1983 regional elections.
2. Within CP.
3. Results for UPN–AP–PDP.

References

Opinion poll sources

1. "Preelectoral municipales y autonómicas 1983 (VII). Navarra (Estudio nº 1352. Abril 1983)" (PDF). CIS (in Spanish). 11 April 1983.

Other

1. "La crisis de UCD culmina con la decisión de disolverse como partido político". El País (in Spanish). 19 February 1983. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
2. "Los socialistas deberán pactar en cinco comunidades atonómas para gobernar". El País (in Spanish). 10 May 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
3. "Los socialistas descartan todo pacto poselectoral con AP-PDP-UL". El País (in Spanish). 14 May 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
4. "Alianza Popular". El País (in Spanish). 18 May 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
5. "La situación, política de Navarra no tiene salida, salvo en el ámbito de la negociación". El País (in Spanish). 29 May 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
6. "El PSOE de Navarra propone al PNV un acuerdo para gobernar la comunidad". El País (in Spanish). 17 June 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
7. "Los votos del PNV, decisivos para elegir al presidente de Navarra". El País (in Spanish). 20 June 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
8. "La crisis de UCD culmina con la decisión de disolverse como partido político". El País (in Spanish). 19 February 1983. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
9. "Polémica PSOE-UPN sobre quién debe ser designado presidente del Gobierno navarro". El País (in Spanish). 21 August 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
10. "El presidente del Parlamento navarro esperará varios días antes de proponer presidente regional". El País (in Spanish). 24 August 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
11. "Pactos y desafueros en Navarra". El País (in Spanish). 30 August 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
12. "El Tribunal Constitucional da la razón al PSOE sobre la presidencia del Gobierno navarro". El País (in Spanish). 7 February 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
13. "Fracaso de las negociaciones para lograr un Gobierno de coalición en Navarra". El País (in Spanish). 23 March 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
14. "Urralburu, propuesto formalmente al Rey como presidente del Gobierno de Navarra". El País (in Spanish). 18 April 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
15. "Urralburu incorpora al Gobierno navarro a cuatro no afiliados al PSOE". El País (in Spanish). 27 April 1984. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
16. Ley Orgánica 13/1982, de 10 de agosto, de reintegración y amejoramiento del Régimen Foral de Navarra. Boletín Oficial del Estado (Organic Law 13) (in Spanish). 10 August 1982. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
17. Real Decreto-ley 20/1977, de 18 de marzo, sobre Normas Electorales (Royal Decree-Law 20) (in Spanish). 18 March 1977. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
18. "I Legislature (1983-1987)". parlamentodenavarra.es (in Spanish). Parliament of Navarre. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
19. "Elecciones al Parlamento de Navarra (Nafarroako Parlamentua) (1979 - 2019)". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 September 2017.
20. "UPN obtiene la presidencia del Parlamento navarro con el apoyo de la Coalición Popular". El País (in Spanish). 9 June 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
21. "El candidato a presidente del Gobierno navarro tiene del posibilidades de elección". El País (in Spanish). 21 June 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
22. "El candidato de UPN no superó la primera votación para presidente de Navarra". El País (in Spanish). 22 June 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
23. "El PNV y el PSOE reiteran su oposición al candidato de UPN a la presidencia de Navarra". El País (in Spanish). 27 June 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
24. "Los socialistas negociarán con el PNV la formación del Gobierno de Navarra". El País (in Spanish). 28 June 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
25. "El Gobierno de Navarra no tendrá presidente hasta finales de agosto". El País (in Spanish). 3 July 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
26. "Los servicios jurídicos del Parlamento foral propusieron al candidato socialista". El País (in Spanish). 17 September 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
27. "El presidente del Parlamento navarro propone como jefe del Gobierno foral al candidato minoritario, de UPN". El País (in Spanish). 26 August 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
28. "Sólo Coalición Popular apoya al candidato de UPN para presidir el Gobierno foral navarro". El País (in Spanish). 27 August 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
29. "Bados justifica su propuesta de Zubiaur para presidente del Gobierno navarro". El País (in Spanish). 29 August 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
30. "El Gobierno recurrirá contra la propuesta de Zubiaur como presidente de Navarra". El País (in Spanish). 1 September 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
31. "El PSOE de Navarra recurre al Tribunal Constitucional contra la propuesta de Zubiaur". El País (in Spanish). 5 September 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
32. "Admitido a trámite el recurso contra la designación de Zubiaur como presidente de Navarra". El País (in Spanish). 16 September 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
33. "Los grupos parlamentarios expresan su apoyo al actual presidente de la Diputación". El País (in Spanish). 4 September 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
34. "Se agrava la paralización de la autonomía navarra". El País (in Spanish). 9 September 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
35. "Navarra vive, sin Gobierno y sin presupuestos, en grave parálisis administrativa". El País (in Spanish). 19 September 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
36. "Los cuatro diputados forales de Navarra, decididos a impulsar la autonomía". El País (in Spanish). 25 September 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
37. "La crisis navarra paraliza varios planes de cooperación regional". El País (in Spanish). 7 October 1983. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
38. "Jaime Ignacio del Burgo, repuesto en la presidencia de la Diputación navarra". El País (in Spanish). 15 January 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
39. "El 'caso FASA'". El País (in Spanish). 15 January 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
40. "La parálisis y confusión del Gobierno foral se agrava con la vuelta de Del Burgo a la presidencia de la Diputación". El País (in Spanish). 17 January 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
41. "Del Burgo afirma que la sentencia del Tribunal Constitucional no resolverá la crisis política". El País (in Spanish). 22 January 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
42. "Unión del Pueblo Navarro compara al Tribunal Constitucional con el TOP del régimen anterior". El País (in Spanish). 9 February 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
43. "Pleno. Sentencia 16/1984, de 06 de febrero de 1984 (BOE núm. 59, de 08 de marzo de 1984)" (PDF). BOE. 9 March 1984. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
44. "El PNV está dispuesto a formar parte de un Gobierno de coalición en Navarra". El País (in Spanish). 11 February 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
45. "Del Burgo ofrece apoyo al PNV en Euskadi si facilita un Gobierno conservador navarro". El País (in Spanish). 28 February 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
46. "El candidato socialista Gabriel Urralburu presentó al Parlamento navarro su programa de gobierno". El País (in Spanish). 2 March 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
47. "Urralburu no alcanzó la mayoría para ser elegido presidente del Gobierno de Navarra". El País (in Spanish). 3 March 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
48. "Urralburu no consiguió en segunda votación la presidencia del Gobierno de Navarra". El País (in Spanish). 5 March 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
49. "Gabriel Urralburu". El País (in Spanish). 9 March 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
50. "La negativa de Jaime Ignacio del Burgo dificulta un Gobierno de coalición en Navarra". El País (in Spanish). 20 February 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
51. "PNV, UPN y Coalición Popular inician conversaciones para formar un Gobierno de coalición en Navarra". El País (in Spanish). 8 March 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
52. "Nuevo candidato en Navarra". El País (in Spanish). 12 March 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
53. "Aspirante a presidente navarro". El País (in Spanish). 14 March 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
54. "Urralburu será en abril el nuevo presidente de Navarra, al fracasar un acuerdo de la derecha". El País (in Spanish). 26 March 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
55. "El PNV descarta abstenerse en la elección del presidente de Navarra". El País (in Spanish). 30 March 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
56. "Renacen las tensiones en el Partido Nacionalista Vasco a causa de la política de alianzas en Euskadi y Navarra". El País (in Spanish). 2 April 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
57. "El PNV de Navarra rechaza órdenes de su partido para dar la Diputación Foral a la derecha". El País (in Spanish). 4 April 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
58. "Escasas posibilidades para el candidato de Coalición Popular a la presidencia navarra". El País (in Spanish). 5 April 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
59. "El PNV abrirá expedientes de sanción a los dirigentes navarros que se nieguen a abstenerse en la elección de su presidente foral". El País (in Spanish). 8 April 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
60. "Indiferencia en el Parlamento navarro tras el discurso del candidato Monge". El País (in Spanish). 8 April 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
61. "La dirección del PNV navarro reclama comprensión para su rechazo a la Coalición Popular". El País (in Spanish). 10 April 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
62. "El candidato de la Coalición Popular no superó la votación para la presidencia de Navarra". El País (in Spanish). 9 April 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
63. "Monge, derrotado de nuevo". El País (in Spanish). 11 April 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
64. "Navarra y el PNV". El País (in Spanish). 10 April 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
65. "Gabriel Urralburu, candidato socialista, será propuesto el martes al Rey como presidente del Gobierno de Navarra". El País (in Spanish). 15 April 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
66. "Gabriel Urralburu no descarta un pacto PSOE-PNV para gobernar en Navarra". El País (in Spanish). 24 April 1984. Retrieved 11 December 2019.