Javea PP in meltdown?

EARLIER this year, long time leader of the Javea Partido Popular party Juan Moragues, managed to survive an internal leadership challenge by the small margin of 23 votes. But before his supporters had a chance to pop the obligatory champagne corks, Valencian PP head office dropped a bombshell.

They announced that José Juan Castelló, a young lawyer living in Valencia, had been selected to replace former Mayor Moragues as the new Mayor elect for the town of Javea.

Immediately the long knives were out claiming that although new boy Juan Castello Pastor had been born in Javea, he hadn’t lived in the town for over 18 years and had no understanding of the needs of the community.

Unfortunately, this criticism seemed to have been somewhat justified when at his first public meeting last March 17th, Agenda 21 news reported that he appeared to flounder when confronted by several direct questions about town projects.

When asked about the current sewerage plant situation, he admitted he had no idea whether Javea had one and became confused as to the exact location of a new proposed post office, although it had been on the planning agenda for some considerable time.

He also promised to develop a strategic plan for tourism, but failed to follow up this statement when it was pointed out that under the present government, a PP member had been appointed councillor for tourism, but had not organised a single meeting during his term of office. After sidetracking questions about former leader Moragues role in the new set-up, Snr Pastor admitted.

“I am aware of the up-hill struggle I have to face, I may have been living in Valencia, but I have always carries the town in my heart” One week after his rather shaky public debut, the party activists struck again.

According to a report published on March 22 in Spanish newspaper Las Provincias, after the meeting, over half the members of the Javea PP executive felt marginalised by the appointment of Juan José Castelló and decided that the, “internal climate is unsustainable,” and have set up a new group with the grand title; Iniciativa Popular Democrática de Jávea.  This decision had obviously been in the pipeline for some time as they claim they already have their own statutes and logo which will be formalised before a notary immediately.

We attempted to contact the PP press office for more information but without sucess. Word on the street is that only one person knows exactly in which direction the PP is heading. A man who sat circumspectly in the back row of the public section, shrouded in shadow during the entire launch of the new PP – the old wily campaigner himself, Juan Moragues.

By Benny Davis