Translated from Levante 03.07.08
There was a renewed refusal by the municipality of Xàbia to accept another proposal to extend the port, on this occasion presented by the Generalitat Valenciana.
In a tense and noisy meeting, packed full with supporters and detractors of the project, the motion by Mayor Eduardo Monfort (Bloc Centrists), went ahead with the backing of Nueva Javea. Today the resolution will be sent to the Generalitat Ministry of Infrastructure with a clear mandate (once again) from the municipality. The other political groups abstained, though the meeting was not attended by the former PP mayor, Juan Moragues.
However, some things have changed since the last "emphatic No" which the Municipality has been adopting since 1999.
Yesterday, PSOE, PP and CPJ did all they could to prevent rejection of the large expansion of the port proposed by the Valencian government with the approval of the Ministry of Environment. The alternative "motion" tabled by groups that supported expansion called for the holding of a public consultation to enable the public to speak out, a view not shared by the Bloc Centrists, the leading party in the ruling coalition.
Nevertheless, opposition groups, PP, CPJ, plus the PSOE, which has definitively broken with their partner in government (although the mayor repeated ad nauseam that the pact is still alive), have the power to convene an extraordinary plenary meeting to consider their proposal.
The vote was preceded by a recess requested by the leader of Nueva Javea, Ana Vasbinder, so that she could talk to the mayor. "The spokesman for Nueva Javea shook my hand, eye to eye, and gave me their vote of confidence", revealed the mayor later, so enabling the motion to be passed with seven votes from the Bloc and four from Nueva Javea.
There was a moment of shock and amazement on the faces of the PP, in a night of heated shouting and insults, mostly directed towards the ranks of the Socialists. The Socialist spokesman, Jose Chulvi, drew out the document that Nueva Javea had already passed to BLOC. This pact proposed full-fledged government flagship projects from the independent Nueva Javea party for an expanded golf course, a congress hall, 1,200 moorings in the Saladar and yet further proposals.
Eduardo Monfort refused to budge.
"We have a pact with the PSOE and we wish to fulfil it."
With this, the mayor received another round of passionate applause from the many banner waving people gathered there.
The leader of NJ, Ana Vasbinder, said: "In Holland it is said that a guilder can only be spent once and this is what will happen to the port of Xàbia. Extending it is irreversible and we do not want to have that on our conscience." (Quoted in Xabia al Día and Las Provincias)
I am away all this week but really appreciate keeping up to date on this site, so many thanks Chris.
It occurred to me that if we concentrated on getting the coastline made a protected area it would be a start. It should be easy, as I understand it the proposal was sent to Valencia and its only their incompetance that it wasn't processed. Or am being naive? Anyway it is a cause we could all support and we could petition Madrid, get Greenpeace on side, write letters to Spainsh and english press etc. etc..
If we could get this passed then any proposals to extend the port would have to respect it - or is that naive too?