According to a report by Reuters, voters in Spain’s northwest region of Galicia participated in an election on Sunday in what is expected to be a closely contested race, with polls indicating that the opposition conservative People’s Party (PP) may lose the absolute majority it has held for the past 15 years.
The PP has been in power in the region for most of the last 35 years, with its leader, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, having previously served as the Galician regional government chief.
A poll conducted by 40dB for El Pais newspaper and published on Feb. 11 found that 46% of voters would prefer a coalition of the Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) and the Socialist Party over the PP retaining power.
In addition to fighting to maintain control of its stronghold, the PP is also dealing with internal conflict after Feijoo appeared to endorse a conditional amnesty for Catalan separatists, a measure promoted by Spain’s left-wing coalition government and previously opposed by the PP.
One unexpected outcome of the election could be Gonzalo Perez Jacome, the mayor of Ourense, emerging as a kingmaker. Perez, known for dressing up as a Power Ranger and Superman during the campaign, is pushing for the regional government to repay what he considers to be the town’s historic debt.
The official results are not expected until 11 p.m. (10.00 GMT), with the results from overseas voters, accounting for 476,000 emigre Galicians, set to be counted by Feb. 29.
(Reporting by Graham Keeley; Editing by David Goodman)
