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ANDORRA
Consell general (General Council)
ELECTIONS IN 2009

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A historical Archive of past election results for this chamber can be found on a separate page

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 126 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/

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