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Asturian parliamentary election, 1983

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8 May 1983
  
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1983
  
1983

14
  
5

15 March 1983
  
1983

26
  
14

293,320
  
170,654

Asturian parliamentary election, 1983

The 1983 Asturian parliamentary election was held on Sunday, 8 May 1983, to elect the 1st General Junta of the Principality of Asturias, the regional legislature of the Spanish autonomous community of Asturias. At stake were all 45 seats in the General Junta, determining the President of the Principality of Asturias.

Contents

The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) won the election with a comfortable absolute majority of 26 out of 45 seats and 52.0% of the vote. The People's Coalition, headed by the conservative People's Alliance, became the second political force and the main opposition party in the General Junta with 14 seats and 30.2%. The Communist Party of Spain (PCE) won 5 seats and 11.1%.

As a result of the election, Socialist Pedro de Silva replaced Rafael Fernández as President of Asturias, becoming the first democratically elected head of the regional government.

Electoral system

The 45 members of the General Junta of the Principality of Asturias were elected in 3 multi-member districts using the D'Hondt method and a closed-list proportional representation system. Unlike other regions, districts did not coincide with provincial limits, being determined by law as such:

  • Central District, comprising the municipalities of: Aller, Avilés, Bimenes, Carreño, Caso, Castrillón, Corvera de Asturias, Gijón, Gozón, Illas, Las Regueras, Langreo, Laviana, Lena, Llanera, Mieres, Morcín, Noreña, Oviedo, Proaza, Quirós, Ribera de Arriba, Riosa, San Martín del Rey Aurelio, Santo Adriano, Sariego, Siero, Sobrescobio and Soto del Barco.
  • Eastern District, comprising the municipalities of: Amieva, Cabrales, Cabranes, Cangas de Onís, Caravia, Colunga, Llanes, Nava, Onís, Parres, Peñamellera Alta, Peñamellera Baja, Piloña, Ponga, Ribadedeva, Ribadesella and Villaviciosa.
  • Western District, comprising the municipalities of: Allande, Belmonte de Miranda, Boal, Candamo, Cangas del Narcea, Castropol, Coaña, Cudillero, Degaña, El Franco, Grado, Grandas de Salime, Ibias, Illano, Muros del Nalón, Navia, Pesoz, Pravia, Salas, San Martín de Oscos, Santa Eulalia de Oscos, San Tirso de Abres, Somiedo, Tapia de Casariego, Taramundi, Teverga, Tineo, Valdés, Vegadeo, Villanueva de Oscos, Villayón and Yernes y Tameza.

    • As the community had not passed an electoral law of its own at the time, the electoral system came regulated under Decree 57/1983, which distributed the General Junta seats as follows: Central District (32), Eastern District (5) and Western District (8).

    Voting was on the basis of universal suffrage in a secret ballot. Only lists polling above 3% of the total vote in each district (which include blank ballots—for none of the above) were entitled to enter the seat distribution.

    Seat projections

    Opinion polls showing seat projections are displayed in the table below. The highest seat figures in each polling survey have their background shaded in the leading party's colour. In the instance that there is a tie, then no figure is shaded. 23 seats were required for an absolute majority in the General Junta of the Principality of Asturias.

    References

    Asturian parliamentary election, 1983 Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA