Minister visits Jávea for party launch

GOVERNMENT minister Pedro Duque was in Jávea on Sunday as the socialist PSOE party presented its town hall candidates ahead of next month’s local elections.

The politician was appointed by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to become minister for Science, Innovation and Universities after taking office in June last year and hopes to be returned to Madrid as a member of parliament for Alicante at the end of the month in the national election.

Jávea Mayor José Chulvi and 20 colleagues were welcomed by a crowd of over 350 people in Placeta del Convent and hope to be forming a third successive government in the town hall after the town goes to the polls on May 26.

The mayor is seeking his third successive term in office and said his team wanted 'to complete all the work started', the largest portfolio of projects undertaken in the Marina Alta town.

Mr Duque, who visited the International Space Station as the country’s only astronaut, urged people to support for the socialists in the coming general election.

He said PSOE was presenting a 'quiet project' for the elections - "Far from the fantasies and tensions of other parties – and which focuses on what our country really needs.”

And he backed the local party and its work under Mr Chulvi. “This is a town that works, in which there is stability and things are done well, which is why people have trusted José Chulvi and I am sure he will succeed again.”

Quality

The mayor spoke of the achievements of the last four years – visible results 'which you can see when you go out on the streets' and behind the scenes improvements 'which in the end improve the quality of life of the town.'

He said an example of the former was a policy of 'small urbanism', including the asphalting and improvements of streets and the switch to LED for more than 600 streetlights, and the launch of the municipal archive.

The government team, he said, had changed the style of politics 'in which we have gone from closed doors to another, in which more than 9,000 residents personally have come to the mayor’s office to directly address issues with me.'

Mr Chulvi thanked colleagues for their work. 'Ateam you can approach and is on the street every day to celebrate successes with the people or to work with them when problems occur.'

He also attacked the policies of opponents 'who without ideas, launch personal attacks and complaints without any justification than causing gratuitous damage.'

And he said the team standing was: “A group of reliable men and women, workers, who know and love Jávea.”