A ballot-box for Villanueva voters

VILLANUEVA DE LA CONCEPCION voters will be electing its own council for the first time in Sunday’s elections. Until just over two years ago, Villanueva (Malaga Province) was classed as a Local Autonomous Entity (ELA) attached to Antequera. Finally, on March 17 2009, Villanueva de la Concepcion became an independent municipality although the formalities were not completed until 2010.

Villanueva is Malaga province’s 101^st municipality and Sunday’s poll will be close-run.

Foro Andaluz (FA), the PSOE, PP and Izquierda Unida are all battling for council seats but despite Villanueva’s newly-won independence, residents are old hands when it comes to voting.

Until 2007 they voted twice in local elections, both for Antequera councillors and their own ELA mayor who later nominated the members of the neighbourhood committee.

But come Sunday, voters will need to put just one envelope in the ballot box and for the first time can choose a mayor and councillors.