| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Consell general / General Council |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
26 April 2009 |
| Purpose of elections |
Elections were held for all seats in the General Council on the normal expiry of the members' term of office. |
On 9 February 2009, Prime Minister Albert Pintat Santolària called parliamentary elections for 26 April. At stake were 28 seats in the General Council: 14 seats on the national lists elected by proportional representation, and 14 on the territorial lists elected by the first-past-the-post system.
In the previous elections, held in April 2005, the ruling Liberal Party of Andorra (PLA) took 14 of the 28 seats at stake. The coalition Citizens' Alternatives (L'Altérnativa PS-RD) - comprising the Social Democrat Party (PS), the Democratic Renovation party (RD), the Group of Ordino Independents (GUPI) and independents - followed with 12 seats. The CDA-Segle 21 - a coalition of the Andorran Democratic Centre Party (CDA) and the 21st Century party (Segle 21) - took the remainder. In May, the General Council elected the PLA leader, Mr. Pintat Santolària, as the new head of government with the backing of the PLA and CDA-Segle 21.
Two coalitions and three parties were vying for seats in the 2009 elections.
The PLA formed the Reformist Coalition (CR) under the leadership of outgoing Speaker Joan Gabriel Estany. The CR comprised the PLA, the New Centre (made up of former members of the CDA-Segle 21), the Lauredian Union (Unió Laurediana) and the Independents d'Ordino (IO).
The PS of Mr. Jaume Bartumeu Cassany campaigned under the name "PS, l'Alternative" with the GUPI and independents.
Two new parties took part in the 2009 elections: Andorra for Change (Andorra pel Canvi, APC), led by Mr. Eusebi Nomen Calvet, which had the backing of the RD, and the National Union of Progress of Mr. Tomas Pascual Casabosh. The Andorran Green Party (Els Verds) of Ms. Isabel Lozano Muñoz ran on its own.
The 2009 elections were held against the backdrop of the global financial crisis. Many OECD countries had pushed the Principality to renounce bank secrecy. Although the country remained on the OECD's black list until the 2009 elections, in March 2009, along with Belgium and Liechtenstein, it agreed to revise the laws related to bank secrecy. Prime Minister Pintat pledged to pass a bill in the General Council on the sharing of fiscal information with other countries. However, parliament was dissolved before the outgoing legislature was able to vote on the bill.
Prime Minister Pintat called on voters to support the CR, in order to continue on the path of fiscal reform. PS leader Bartumeu promised to modify existing laws related to bank secrecy.
In all, 75.30 per cent of the country's 20,000 eligible voters turned out at the polls.
The PS and its allies won a total of 14 seats, or one less than the number required for an absolute majority. The CR came in second with 11 seats. The AC took the three remaining seats. Nine women were elected.
On 19 May, the newly elected General Council held its first session and elected Mr. Josep Dallerès Codina (PS) as its new Speaker. On 3 June, it elected Mr. Bartumeu (PS) as Prime Minister. On 9 June, he formed a government which comprised members of the PS and several independents who did not have a seat on the General Council. |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 26 April 2009 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
20'298
75.3%
614
14'679 |
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of votes |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Candidates |
Votes |
Parish votes |
|
% |
Parish votes (%) |
|
| Social Democrat Party (PS) and its allies |
28 |
6'610 |
6'457 |
|
45.03 |
44.69 |
|
| Reformist Coalition (CR) - Independents of Ordino (IO) |
28 |
4'747 |
5'021 |
|
32.34 |
34.70 |
|
| Andorra for Change (APC) |
24 |
2'768 |
2'508 |
|
18.86 |
17.36 |
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
National seats |
Parish seats |
|
|
| Social Democrat Party (PS) and its allies |
14
|
6 |
8 |
|
|
| Reformist Coalition (CR) - Independents of Ordino (IO) |
11
|
5 |
6 |
|
|
| Andorra for Change (APC) |
3
|
3 |
0 |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
19
9
32.14%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
31 to 40 years
41 to 50 years
51 to 60 years
61 to 70 years
|
5
10
12
1
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
| Finance, management or business |
12 |
| Education profession |
4 |
| Other |
3 |
| Legal profession |
3 |
| Physician, dentist |
2 |
| Civil service and local authority administration |
2 |
| Architect, surveyor, engineer |
2 |
|
| Comments |
Note on distribution of seats according to sex:
Nine women were elected in April 2009. Two male members resigned to take up their ministerial post in the new government formed in June 2009. One of them was replaced by a woman, bringing the total number of women parliamentarians to 10 (35.71 per cent).
Sources:
- General Council (04.05.2009, 17.07.2009)
- http://www.eleccions.ad/ |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
